Next year’s event promises another extraordinary celebration of LGBTQIA+ pride, culture, and community, all brought together with the theme ‘FREE TO BE’.
“Each year, Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras brings people from all corners of the globe together for a celebration of community, visibility, and progress,” Mardi Gras CEO Gil Beckwith says. “The 2025 festival embodies this spirit, reflecting the resilience, creativity, and unity of our LGBTQIA+ communities. We are thrilled to welcome everyone to this year's festivities and look forward to continuing to champion the values of inclusivity and equality.”
There are more than 80 events throughout the programme in 2025, bringing together the diverse elements of Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ communities. Returning signature events include the dazzling Sissy Ball, the popular Kaftana Pool Party, the hilarious Laugh Out Proud, the Paradiso Pool Party, the iconic Mardi Gras Party, and Laneway.
The jewel in the festival’s crown, the Parade, will once again take to the streets including the newly revamped Taylor Square Takeover. This will provide parade-goers with a totally new block party experience.
Fair Day makes a return to Victoria Park after an unexpected hiatus in 2024, set to bring in more than 200 food, retail and community stalls as well as showing off the best of our four-legged friends in Doggywood. In 2025, Trans Camp and the Karaoke Cave are set to make their Fair Day debut as well.
The 2025 Mardi Gras Party will be headlined by GRAMMY Award-winning DJ, producer and fashion icon Honey Dijon, and UK musician, DJ and songwriter Romy in an exclusive Sydney appearance.
Image © Jordan Munns
Also back by popular demand next year are Ultra Violet (a day-to-night party for LGBTQIA+ women and their nearest and dearest); Hot Trans Summer (a celebration dedicated to trans and gender-diverse communities); and First Nations First Light: A Festival Welcome, which will take place on Gadigal, Bidjigal, Birrabirragal Land at Bondi Beach.
Blak & Deadly: The First Nations Gala Concert returns in 2025, marking its first appearance since its inception in 2023. It will celebrate Blak and Queer excellence, with performances honouring First Nations culture and LGBTQIA+SB identities.
A new addition to the festival is Mardi Gras + Qtopia, featuring a range of exhibitions, experiences and performances including ‘They Will Be Kings’ and ‘I Want It That Gay’.
‘Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen’ starring Samuel Barnett at Sydney Opera House is a dark comedy, diving into the anxieties of modern life, offering festival audiences a laugh-out-loud theatrical exploration of intimacy and ego.
The Mardi Gras + open-access programme showcase the creativity of LGBTQIA+ artists, communities and venues across Sydney. There’s Solid Pink Disco featuring Trixie Mattel, ‘The Kaye Hole’ starring Reuben Kaye, ‘Disco On The Green’, ‘Slow-Cooked Mutton & The Church Of The Clitori’, and ‘An Evening Without Kate Bush’.
Pride In Sport Festival is yet another brand-new addition, highlighting LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sports across Australia.
Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras 2025 is on from 14 February-2 March.
