The first Mardi Gras was a peaceful protest which transformed into a pivotal moment, sparking the country’s modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement. The evening at Qtopia, presented in collaboration with the First Mardi Gras 78ers as part of Pride Fest 2025, will unveil a new, permanent tribute to the original marchers.

The event will take place at Qtopia Sydney’s main building: the former Darlinghurst Police Station, where many of the 78ers were detained in 1978.

A newly-commissioned commemorative photograph will be unveiled, as well as the premiere of a short documentary (by emerging Sydney artist Ben Brewer) capturing its creation, and the enduring legacy of the 78ers. These will make up a new, permanent exhibition at the centre.

“This is a strong punctuation mark in the journey of the brave 78ers. The photograph to be unveiled is one of defiance; it shows the 78ers standing on the rainbow flag surrounding the building where they were once imprisoned and humiliated,” Qtopia Sydney CEO Greg Fisher says. “That same site now houses the world’s largest centre for Queer history and culture, amplifying Queer stories for all.”

“The accompanying documentary captures their voices and stories nearly 50 years on. This exhibition is a living record of their fight and tells the world that the hard-won freedoms and progress in Queer equality are never to be unwound.”

The unveiling of this new exhibition comes at a time where parts of the world are deep in anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric. In the United States, gender-affirming care for trans youth has been banned in more than 20 states, and funding has been cut for LGBTQIA+ youth suicide prevention (including the upcoming shutdown of their queer youth suicide hotline next month). . . Over in the UK, court rulings have removed key legal recognitions for transgender people.

Australia is not without its challenges too.

Qtopia Sydney stands as a cultural outlier, preserving history, educating through storytelling, and creating inclusive spaces.

Former NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller, who in 2018 formally apologised to the 78ers on behalf of the NSW Police Force, has been invited to speak on the night.

Tickets are on sale now.

'A Night With The 78ers' Mardi Gras Tribute event takes place on 24 June at Qtopia Sydney.