Sydney Mardi Gras 2014

Sydney celebrates the LGBTQI community this February and March, as Mardi Gras returns for 2014. With festivals, art, parties and, of course, the parade, there is plenty on to welcome every individual from all walks of life. Join in the fun and soak up the atmosphere with these following highlights.

Mardi Gras Film Festival

For its 21^st year, the Mardi Gras Film Festival will be showcasing hilarious, sensitive, intense and surprising comedies, dramas and thrillers from around the world that will open your mind and your senses. The complete program will take place between Thursday 13^th February and Sunday 23^rd February, exclusively at Event Cinemas George Street. Those that should be on your hit list include C.O.G, a dark comedy and a must-see for any fan of David Sedaris, and Born This Way, the honest approach to being gay in Sydney – and grateful for it. Germany will also be showcasing their own Brokeback Mountain, Free Fall, which is expected to get many audience members hot under the collar! With these, plus many more world premieres of queer and colourful material, it’s a fundamental portion of Mardi Gras that you don’t want to miss.

Event Cinemas, 505-525 George Street, Sydney

Fat Tuesday

Otherwise known as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day, this is the perfect excuse to indulge and go a little bit crazy before lent, with food, wine and entertainment laid on throughout the evening. It’s also an excellent way to raise money for the community’s organisations. For $125, those in attendance can enjoy a three-course dinner, drinks, canapés, and an exciting line-up of singers, dancers, and cabaret acts. Head to Slide on 41 Oxford Street in Darlinghurst and help raise funds for Aurora’s charitable grants programs and projects across NSW.

Slide, 41 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst

The Parade

Possibly the most lavish and colourful event in the calendar, The Parade, along Oxford and Flinders Streets, sees 10,000 people march for LGBTQI equality. A spectacle of the most imaginative and fascinating, on 1^st March men and women will dress up in costume upon extravagant floats to spread the message of love and joy. You can join in the fun yourself by registering a float, marching with a group or volunteering your time to make the sure parade goes off without a hitch. Support the LGBTQI community by appreciating this honest and artistic expression in the heart of Sydney.

Oxford Street & Flinders Street, Darlinghurst

The Death Of Kings

A witty yet thought-provoking take on 1980s Sydney during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, The Death Of Kings tells the story of four men facing prejudice, the struggle to survive and the devastation of their community. The story comes courtesy of interviews of a group of men who lived in Sydney during the time, and performed by four young men and a ringmaster painting the picture of a gay Sydney. This moving, endearing and bitterly honest telling of a community facing tragedy will be at Ginger’s at The Oxford Hotel in Darlinghurst on 13^th, 18^th and 19^th February for $25 per ticket.

Gingers at The Oxford Hotel, 134 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst

The Mardi Gras Disco Climb

If you’ve climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge previously, we can guarantee it wouldn’t have been an experience like this. From Monday 17^th February – Thursday 6^th March, this iconic bridge turns into a disco, complete with a dance floor, rainbow decorations, music and disco ball. Dance with friends and compete for the accolade of dancing king or queen, then pick up your eight-second video to remember the climb forever. This is a great way to celebrate Mardi Gras and at $235pp, really shows your dedication to the LGBTQI community!

Sydney Harbour Bridge, 3 Cumberland Street, The Rocks

Summer Camp

A treat for the eyes, Summer Camp 2014 Art Exhibition will showcase the work of four Sydney artists. Between Sunday 23^rd February and Monday 24^th March, Luke Atkinson, Mark Coker, Scott Elk and Mulga, will throw an exciting exhibition of paintings, screen prints, photography and neon. Plenty of colour and energy, each one is different, with Atkinson’s free-flowing explorations of line, shape and colour, Coker’s dark yet sexy photographs with splashes of camp, Elk’s multi-disciplinary talents in colour and paint, and Mulga’s large-scale paintings of bearded men. Not only an addition to Mardi Gras, the collections of Summer Camp 2014 are part of Sydney Art Month 2014, and well deserved of your attention.

Bondi Pavillion, Queen Elizabeth Street Drive, Bondi Beach