Ok, so the holiday season is upon us, and 2023 is going to be Queer Christmas all the way from NYE on Sydney Harbour to the mega Mardi Gras (Sydney World Pride) through February and early March…. So what’s on Santa’s list this year and wether you are naughty or nice, you could partake in some incredible events from new years eve all the way to the closing ceremony….
From hundreds and hundreds of events, it was hard to pick and choose, but here are some red hat santa selections to help you plan your Sydney World Pride experience. We will be doing other lists in the lead up to world pride, so don’t fear, there is plenty on offer!
Naughty or nice, you decide… Santa would appreciate the help, we we are here to give you the low down n what’s hot, and let you buy tickets to these events for your chosen family and friends and celebrate the worlds biggest pride celebration.
So in honour of the 12 days of Xmas, here are our top 12 things to add to your calendars and stuff your stockings.
- New Years Eve 2022/23. (& Celebration NYE Party)
Kicking off 2023 is a big thing in Sydney. And pride wont be different. The annual globally successful fireworks across our massive harbour will ignite with nods to our awesome indigenous community and our queer community. Fireworks at 9pm and midnight are a must do for anyone in town, and THE place to be is the POD Events event at the iconic Museum of Contemporary Arts just off of Circular quay… the exclusive event sells out quickly, so click on the links and try and get tickets. It’s food, beverages and fun for brining in the new year, when you can see one of the gayest fireworks shows in history.
Apart from lots of ticketed spaces around the harbour, there are lotteries for City Of Sydney Council areas that you can gain access to just by entering the various lotteries on offer. All free, and all fun.
https://pointsofdifference.com/celebration-nye/
https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/sydney-new-years-eve
LIVE AND PROUD: World Pride Opening Ceremony
Kylie Minogue, Courtney Act and Casey Donovan welcome the world to world pride. Its a concert, its a family gathering, its a massive event in a big park with the city in the background… lets just hope we don’t have to stand there for hours of speeches, and just celebrate the fact that Australia is a global queer city and we know how important our amazing volunteers are and our organisers are incredible… its a great opportunity to celebrate, dance, sing and open up our city to the world.
This event will also be broadcast after the event on the ABC. | ABC iView.
http://iview.abc.net.au/
Domain Dance Party
7 hours of dance and curated by Aussie DJ and global identity, Dan Slater, this event will feature an appearance by Kelly Rowland, a Mardi Gras icon and member of Destiny’s Child – its going to be off the hook. Join 10,000 of your closest friends. Across 7 hours of party, Domain Dance Party will be the biggest LGBTQIA+ circuit event Australia has ever seen.
In the open-air surrounds of The Domain, international superstar Kelly Rowland will join the best local and international DJs including DJ Suri, Isis Muretech, Tackthai and DJ Du Jour. As the balmy summer sun sets on the Sydney skyline, party boys, queer lovelies and circuit house machines will dance themselves into the second week of WorldPride. From dancers onstage, to surprise acts around you, this will be a gay ol’ feast for the eyes and ears.
DIVA PARTY
Ray Isaac, singer, DJ and remixer knows how to throw a party, and if you want to get your DIVA on, then this event is going to be off the hook! Everything from Kylie, Dannii, Samantha Jade, Jessica Mauboy, Casey Donovan, Madonna, Cher, Deborah Cox and more will be DJ’d to the max and its going to be a hands in the air extravaganza.
Paddington RSL.
https://www.moshtix.com.au/v2/event/diva-party-sydney-world-pride/146046
Drag Bus Tour of Sydney
Penny Tration, Travelling Kyle and Hermes Holidays offer up the best road trip bus tours of Sydney every year and they always sell out… these tours are a guided bus tour of all the hot spots, that not only offer camp fun, but historical stories, iconic spots and allow you to take in all the sights of Sydney in air conditioned comfort.
The tours are back for World Pride and are a MUST DO. You never know, you may even see the Guidetogay.com team on the tour spreading the love too!
Bookings: https://hermes-holidays.com/mardi-gras/worldpride.html
Tuesday, 21st February 2023
Wednesday, 22nd February 2023
Thursday, 23rd February 2023
Tuesday, 28th February 2023
Wednesday, 1st March 2023
Thursday, 2nd March 2023
Friday, 3rd March 2023
Brideclimb with Pride
We have always loved our friends at the Sydney Harbour Bridgeclimb. So many great experiences…. You too can climb the bridge, get your picture taken with the tour drag host and stand on top of the world down under…. It’s an experience you don’t want to miss, even if the suits are grey and blue, the rainbow will shine! The experience includes lots of add ons, so check out all the details via the link.
https://prideamplified.au/events/the-pride-climb/
Bondi Beach Dance Party
SWP takes over the iconic Bondi Beach, and if you want some sand in ya crack whilst dancing away on the world’s most famous beach, then this event is for you. The iconic Nicole Scherzinger is headlining the entertainment and a slew of Aussie emerging DJ talents across the gender and sexuality spectrum will join another internationally iconic headliner, DJ Dan Murphy, who has brought the house down at many Mardi Gras parties in the past, and is marking the occasion of his 20 years in “the biz”.
Tickets are on final release now.
https://sydneyworldpride.com/events/bondi-beach-party/
The World Pride March across the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Want to send a big queer hug to the rest of the world? Then join 50,000 of your chosen family and walk from North Sydney, across the Harbour Bridge to the domain in this political statement of thousands of individuals, friends and family to mark the fact that Sydney is putting on one of Australia’s largest ever events (even beating the Olympics for sure!).
Mardi Gras Members automatically get an entry into the march – so we advise getting a membership toot sweet! The rest of the participants, will be selected by ballot – which is open now.
https://www.mardigras.org.au/become-a-member/
https://sydneyworldpride.com/events/pride-march/
Thick & Juicy Welcome Party. [sold out]
If you love a hirsute gentleman, a bit of leather cosplay, pups or just males who love the ideas of gender specific binary identities, then don your chaps, don’t wax your chest and mingle with a hot sweaty mass of blokes in the mood to dance, play and be as camp as they want in a safe space.
Thick & Juicy has been a prolific party across multiple states in Australia and brings its iconic party to the Burdekin for World Pride. If #woof #daddy #pup #gear and #fun are your hashtags, then this event is for you.
[this event has sold out, for other World Pride Season Thick and Juicy events, visit www.thicknjuicy.com.au/pride ]
Mardi Gras Fair Day – Victoria Park
Kick off Sydney WorldPride in true Mardi Gras style – Fair Day! A tradition that has brought out community together from across our big red land, to the world, its a festival / picnic and show stopping expression of all our community has to offer. From pups on a leash, to pups on a leash that eat dog food… to drag queens, to vendors, to sports groups and more… it’s a rainbow explosion across one of Sydney biggest parklands.
No matter which letters of the LGBTQIA+ community you represent, there is something for everyone at Fair Day. Taking you from day to night, this is one of the community’s most-loved events bringing over 200 retail, information and food stalls, sample giveaways and family-friendly picnic areas, with entertainment from our rainbow community.
The event also has an incredible offering from our brother boys and sister girls, our indigenous family who present unique experiences and education at the First Nations Circle.
Highlighting the importance of safe, celebratory spaces for LGBTQIA+SB First Nations communities, the First Nations Circle serves as a powerful reminder for all of us that Sydney WorldPride is held on unceded Aboriginal land. It will be a meeting place, a space for conversation, learning, celebration and culture open to both mob and the wider community; including a community tent, an elder’s tent, LGBTQIA+SB First Nations performance, businesses and more.
All ages welcome.
This is a free event.
VICTORIA PARK, Camperdown (Broadway).
Sun Feb 19 @ 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Trikone Australia: Bar Bombay
Australia’s biggest queer Bollywood dance party, Bar Bombay is kicking off the Sydney WorldPride festival on Friday 17 February at Home The Venue.
As always, the party will feature sweeping stage shows, dazzling pyrotechnics, non-stop Bollywood music and hot Desi hunks!
Buy your tickets now: www.barbombay.com
Drag Queen Walking Tour through Sydney’s LGBT District with Wonder Mama
Join Wonder Mama – Sydney’s Super-Hero Drag Queen – on a fun 2 hour experience in the heart of LGBT Sydney – Oxford Street, Darlinghurst! We will visit a series of fabulous LGBT entertainment venues, shops and landmarks in Sydney’s rainbow hub! Wonder Mama will share her experiences and insights into the district and its happenings!
We’ll visit iconic venues such as The Stonewall Hotel, The Oxford, Darlinghurst Bookshop, Sax Fetish, and many others!! Learn about the colourful characters that have become legends on the Sydney scene – activists, entrepreneurs and even fabulous drag queens! You’ll be treated to some store discounts too, just for joining the tour!!
Wonder Mama will give you a run down of the world famous Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade which she has participated in numerous times! The tour will end near Taylor Square at the delightful Sydney Rainbow Crossing where we can stay to take photos and then end the tour with a fabulous Waffle or Milkshake at MyKiki!
Other major events that are not to miss obviously include:
Mardi Gras Parade
Mardi Gras Party
This list is just the beginning of your planning for world pride… so make sure you head to the Sydney World Pride website and Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras website for the opportunity to sign up to email lists, become a member (even overseas people can access membership benefits!) and lots more.