New South Wales Events and Festivals

2/01/2009 - 3/01/2009Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras began in 1978 as a parade down the city's Oxford Street to mark International Gay Solidarity Day (in commemoration of the Stonewall Riots in New York's Greenwich Village). The following year, the event became known as the Mardi Gras and has grown year on year to become one of the biggest gay and lesbian festivals anywhere in the world. The programme usually lasts for four weeks and attracts thousands of revellers - many of whom travel from overseas to attend this spectacular event. Festival highlights include concerts, art exhibitions and theatre performances showcasing gay and lesbian talent or highlighting issues relating to sexuality. Huge crowds turn out for the procession on the final Saturday, which sees colourful floats carrying bands and participants in outrageous costumes making their way along Sydney's Oxford Street