2021 Sydney Mardi Gras Parade Confirmed, With New Parade Home, The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)
On a day where all anyone in the entire world could seem to talk about was the US Election, the gang over at the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras threw that chat straight out the window, instead throwing us all into an extremely flamboyant absolute tizzy. Yes, the question every gay this side of Timbucktoo has been wanting an answer to, has today been answered.
Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras have today officially confirmed that the 2021 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade is all still locked in and roaring to go, despite any covid-cancellation speculation. The 2021 Mardi Gras Parade will however look a little different this year, as instead of walking it’s infamous Oxford Street route, will instead be an arena show, hosted at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
The parade will next year be held on Saturday 6th March, 2021, and as always will be broadcast live on SBS so revellers from across Australia can tune-in to be a part of the celebrations from the comfort of their homes.
The 2021 Mardi Gras theme is ‘RISE’ a poignant message during the challenge and hardship that 2020 has presented, and a nod to the direction Mardi Gras is moving towards with their Always On vision. The theme is a call to action that now is the time to rise again through love, compassion, respect and understanding, and to work together to make the world a better place for all.
Mardi Gras CEO Albert Kruger said, “Mardi Gras has always been the epitome of creative expression through art and culture; two things severely impacted by COVID-19 this year. So it was important to Mardi Gras that we rise to the occasion and to give the community the creative platform to express their pride to the world. The 2021 Parade may look different to how it has been in the past, but we feel very lucky to be able to give this opportunity to our communities during these times.
“The team at Mardi Gras have worked tirelessly with NSW Health to develop a COVID Safe event plan to ensure the Parade can go forward and we’re excited by the prospect of staging the event at the SCG. Not only is the SCG close to our spiritual home of Oxford Street, but it also provides the safest venue for us to hold the event and meet requirements of physical distancing and contact tracing.
“With a greater focus on community, our 2021 Parade will move away from large floats, centring instead on the outlandish pageantry of costumes, puppetry and props that make it such a phenomenon to witness.”
After the most recent Mardi Gras celebrations, the organisation executed a comprehensive community consultation process to better understand how the LGBTQI+ community would like to see Mardi Gras represent them in the future. The outcome of this process has formed a new vision, ‘Always On’, that will see Mardi Gras develop year round initiatives to provide a platform for LGBTQI+ people, community groups and partners to celebrate, share experiences and provide support, no matter where they are.
“While we are well known for our main annual event in Sydney, our surveying of the community has shown us that we can be so much more than a parade,” said Kruger. “Our vision of Always On will see us rise to community expectations and provide year round opportunities for the LGBTQI+ community to have their voices heard.
“Always On will see us commission and support the development of queer performance and content, support more events beyond Oxford Street, extend our voice to highlight social injustice and support major campaigns, and support community and grassroots organisations year round,” said Kruger. “These are just some of the initiatives that make up the foundation of our Always On vision.”
Tickets for the live Parade spectacle go on sale Monday 9 November at www.mardigras.org.au. Mardi Gras members will receive two complimentary tickets to the Parade event.
THE DETAILS
What: 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade
Where: Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) + live broadcast on SBS
When: Saturday 6 March, 2021
Tickets: Adults $20, Group bookings of four $50, Children under 15 or concession $15 – Tickets on sale Monday 9 November
More info/bookings: www.mardigras.org.au
