Happy Sydney WorldPride to the girls, the gays, and the theys! This year, instead of a singular day where the City of Sydney turns it out for those who are singlehandedly keeping the city's nightlife scene afloat, we're getting a whole entire month to celebrate love, togetherness, and community with Sydney WorldPride, which takes place between February 17 and March 5, 2023. Naturally, not all events for the LGBTQIA+ community need to be fuelled by late nights and copious amounts of alcohol consumption, and many folks in the LGBTQIA+ community prefer more wholesome ways to celebrate Pride, which is why, below, we're rounding up a list of events and activities you can partake in over the month to celebrate and immerse yourself in community, whether it's experiencing panels of inspiring queer thought-leaders, or getting nasty to Charli XCX's Welcome to My Island remix at ARQ. As always, it's important to make room for community first if you are not part of the LGBTQIA+ community, so look out for your friends, create space, and lead with respect if participating in the festivities.
Parties
Performance Space is hosting 24 hour party, Day For Night, on Saturday, February 18 from 12pm to 12pm. Performers include House of Silky, Tilly Lawless, Jack Colwell, Basjia Almaan, Kilimi and more.
On February 23, Red Bull is taking over iconic club ARQ for Red Bull Unforeseen, A Night With DUTTY x FILTH. The party is free and will host performances from C.Frim, Halfqueen, JessB, Mirasia, Basjia Almaan, Stelly G, Jamaica Moana and King Cxntessa.
The Abercrombie will celebrate Sydney's vibrant queer clubbing culture with 3 weeks of programming curated by Kate Monroe and Xander Khoury. Featuring full venue takeovers from Heaps Gay, Kerfew, Barba, SUGAR, Angels Only, Canned Fruit, Fur Ball, Queer Techno Collective, Queer House Collective, and more.
Show Us Ya Tips returns to the Abercrombie on March 3 for their WorldPride edition of sex-positive performances. Activating two floors of body and sex-positivity, creating a space to dance, strut, tease and indulge in exhibitionism. Show Us Ya Tips brings routines by professionals and amateurs, performing for tips, bringing the queer, sex worker and local communities together, while raising money for SWOP.
The Minus18 Queer Formal is returning to Sydney for the first time since February 2020. It's the sparkliest night of the year for LGBTQIA+ young people, and, supported by Converse, the night promises an evening of live music, drag, special guests, new friends and queer youth joy - right in the heart of Mardi Gras. Taking place on Saturday 18 February at Roundhouse for a night of live performances, drag, new friends, and special guests.
The Parade
The Mardi Gras Parade returns to Oxford Street after two years at the Cricket Ground on Saturday, February 25 for its 45th anniversary and Sydney WorldPride. All the details here.
Arts and Culture
Make your way to the Seymour Centre for a performances over the month from the likes of KING, Camp, All Out Comedy with Geraldine Hickey, Nath Valvo and Coco Jumbo, William Yang's Gay Sydney: A Memoir and The Dan Daw Show.
Mardi Gras Fair Day is one that we all look forward to, this year returning toVictoria Park on February 19 for all day, all ages fun filled with music, arts, culture and community.
Arthouse Gallery is holding a life drawing event fundraising for ACON and supported by Four Pillars Gin on February 23. Find tickets here.
From February 14 until March 11, the Australian premiere of Choir Boy will take place at Riverside Theatre.
Queer Art After Hours will take place on February 22 at AGNSW. Those attending will be blessed with performances by WorldPride 2023 artists-in-residence Blu Jay, Brian Fuata and Leo Tsao as well as performances by BVT, Dale Woodbridge-Brown, King Cxntessa, Salote Tawale, Megana Holiday and Tommy Misa. Live music will take over the galleries with DJ sets by Baschoe, DJ Gemma with VJ Vaxxx, Neesha Alexander and Salllvage.
Second Life Markets are returning on February 19, and to add to the festive atmosphere will host queer DJs including Mowgli May, Kavi, Mirasia, YVNGCWEED and BIGDADDY. Drag queens Karma Isavich and Peaches Rose will be adding some extra flair to the markets with their captivating performances, and a catwalk competition panelled by Sarah Ellen and Mana Mackay will take place. Find all of the information, here.
Powerhouse Late: WorldPride is a series of free after-hours events featuring live music, film screenings, workshops, talks and exhibition tours celebrating Sydney’s most inspiring queer creatives every Thursday night during WorldPride from February 16 to March 2.
Muru – ba: First Nations LGBTIQA+ Trailblazers is a physical, digital, and street poster exhibition that showcases the voice and stories of First Nations LGBTQIA+ Elders involved with the LGBTQIA+ rights and First Nations community movements since the 1970s from across Australia. Digital stories will draw together archival material with newly commissioned interviews and portraits, which will be presented through an exhibition at Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative, an online exhibition, as well as on posters through the streets of Sydney for the duration of Sydney WorldPride 2023. The exhibition is available to view Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm throughout the month.
Macon Reed’s Eulogy for the Dyke Bar is presented by the National Art School with UNSW Galleries in association with Sydney WorldPride.American artist Macon Reed creates immersive sculptural environments that serve as sites for conversation and exchange. Eulogy for the Dyke Bar revisits the legacy and physical spaces of dyke and lesbian bars, an increasingly rare component of the gay and queer cultural landscape.
Aesop's Queer Library is returning to Sydney this year, highlighting the transformative power of queer storytelling. As was the case with the 2022 edition, the selection of 45 titles is made up of books purchased from queer independent book stores Hares & Hyenas in Melbourne and The Bookshop in Sydney, as well as Allen & Unwin and Penguin Random House. Visitors will be able to collect a complimentary volume of their choice with no purchase required. The offering will be available in Sydney from 22 February to 1 March.
Activations
Los Cabos Tourism has announced its partnership with Patrón Tequila to launch a consumer competition offering two lucky Australians the chance to win a luxury trip to Los Cabos, Mexico. The competition, launching during Sydney WorldPride, is in celebration of ‘Los Cabos for Everyone’ – highlighting that Los Cabos has become one of the world's finest luxury destinations for LGBTQIA+ travellers. Valued at over $11,000, the prize will see one lucky person and their amigo fly to Los Cabos and enjoy 5-nights at Marquis Los Cabos, an all-inclusive Luxury Resort & Spa named one of Travel and Leisure’s top hotels in Mexico. For details on entering, click here.
