The 48th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival will electrify Sydney from 13 February to 1 March 2026, inviting all to step into ECSTATICA. A world where joy becomes movement, and celebration becomes power.
Over 20 days, the city will pulse with queer energy through a dynamic program of theatre, music, parties, talks, and community events, culminating in the 48th Annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday 28 February, when Oxford Street once again transforms into the beating heart of LGBTQIA+ pride and visibility.
“ECSTATICA is about euphoria as resistance,” said Jesse Matheson, CEO of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.”The idea that our joy is powerful, political, and unstoppable. This year’s Festival celebrates connection in all its forms: from streets to screens, from protest to party, and from one another to the world. It’s a celebration of who we are, what we’ve built, and the future we’re creating together.”
“Sydney truly comes alive during Mardi Gras,” said Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore AO. “Our city sparkles with diversity, inclusion and love proudly on show. The City of Sydney is proud to support this globally significant celebration that brings our streets and our communities together. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back to Oxford Street to celebrate a festival that stands for joy, equality and belonging.”
A Festival of Connection, Culture and Celebration
The 2026 Festival features over 80 events, opening with the Progress Pride Flag Raising at Sydney Town Hall on Friday 13 February, signalling the start of two weeks of unstoppable queer joy.
That same evening, Ultra Violet takes over City Recital Hall for an electrifying evening created by long-time collaborators Sveta Gilerman and Jess Hill. A glowing, femme-charged celebration of LGBTQIA+ women and their allies, the event transforms Angel Place’s iconic auditorium and grand foyer into a lush dreamscape of queer sensuality, sound and performance.
Meanwhile, across town at the National Art School, the trans and gender-diverse community takes centre stage with Black Cherry – a night of heat, heart and artistry in full bloom inside the historic Cell Block Theatre.
On Sunday 15 February, the city’s most iconic outdoor gathering, Fair Day at Victoria Park, bursts back to life. Expect the First Nations Circle opening ceremony, the chaos of Drag King Games, the sparkle of the Queer Fashion Runway, plus Doggywood pooch parade, picnic rugs and Karaoke Cave: Disco Divas all unfolding under the summer sun.
The Festival continues with a line-up of much-loved favourites that capture the full spectrum of queer joy. Kaftana Pool Party returns to the Ivy Pool on Wednesday 18 February, where cocktails, kaftans, and retro beats collide in the city’s most glamorous midweek escape.
Laugh Out Proud, presented by the Sydney Comedy Festival, fills the Enmore Theatre on Friday 20 February, uniting the sharpest and sassiest comics from across the country. Then, on Sunday 22 February, Paradiso Pool Party returns to ivy Pool for another legendary day-to-night celebration under the palms.
Queer Screen’s 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival runs from 12 – 26 February 2026 across multiple Sydney venues, presenting outstanding LGBTQIA+ cinema from around the world. Alongside film premieres, audiences can enjoy panel discussions and networking events celebrating global queer storytelling and connection.
Queer Art After Hours returns to the Art Gallery of New South Wales on 25 February 2026, activating both the gallery with a vibrant program of LGBTQIA+ performance, music and art. Co-produced by the Gallery and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the free ticketed event provides a powerful platform for diverse queer artists and storytellers to shine.
New SGLMG Events
This year introduces a series of bold new additions to the Mardi Gras calendar, expanding the Festival’s cultural scope and creative ambition.
Perfect Arrangement (from 3 February at New Theatre, Newtown) is a sharp and witty play by Topher Payne that revisits the Lavender Scare, the 1950s campaign in which the U.S. government targeted and persecuted gay and lesbian employees under the guise of national security.
Inspired by true events, it follows two State Department employees who hide their own sexuality by marrying each other’s partners. What begins as a perfectly polished cover story unravels into a poignant examination of conformity, courage and the birth of the American gay rights movement.
The Normal Heart (9 February – 21 March), presented by Sydney Theatre Company to be held at the Drama Theatre in the Sydney Opera House, marks the return of Larry Kramer’s groundbreaking play to the stage where it made its Australian debut in 1989. A powerful reflection on love, loss, and activism during the AIDS crisis.
BLACK CHERRY (14 February) turns back the clock as the trans and gender-diverse community takes over the Cell Block Theatre at the National Art School for a night of heat, music and redemption. Held within the historic walls of the Art School, it invites audiences to rewrite their story in a celebration of strength, expression and freedom.
And a brand-new dining spectacular, Mardi Gala, presented by Coles Group on Tuesday 24 February, transforms Merivale’s Ivy Ballrooms into a feast for every sense, blending couture, cuisine and connection in one unforgettable night.
The 48th Annual Parade
On Saturday 28 February, the 48th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade will fill Oxford Street, Flinders Street and Anzac Parade with light, colour and sound. Thousands of marchers and floats will unite in a dazzling procession of pride, visibility, and solidarity.
Accessible Viewing Areas on Flinders Street will once again ensure the Parade remains a celebration for everyone. At Taylor Square, Glitter Club will offer the most spectacular vantage point to experience the Parade up close, unfiltered and unforgettable.
“Every year, the Parade reminds us that visibility is joy in motion,” said Matheson. “It’s about showing up for ourselves and each other, and doing it with glitter in our veins.”
Party + Laneway
The final weekend of the Festival brings the community together for one last celebration of connection, colour and pride.
The PARTY returns. Reimagined. The dance floor’s calling, and it’s louder than ever. PARTY returns to SGLMG on Saturday 28 February with more love, rhythm and energy than you can handle. It’s our moment to shine, and it will be bright. Stay tuned!
On Sunday 1 March, Laneway returns to transform The Beresford and Hill Street into a vibrant street party filled with music, laughter and joy. It’s the perfect closing chapter to the Festival, a chance to dance, reconnect and celebrate everything that makes Sydney glow.
Mardi Gras+
Running throughout the Festival, Mardi Gras+ celebrates queer creativity across arts, culture, sport and community. The 2026 open-access program brings together LGBTQIA+ artists, collectives and venues from across Sydney, shining a light on new voices and experiences.
Highlights include Rainbow Beaches by Lifesavers with Pride, transforming surf clubs from Bondi to beyond in the colours of the Progress Flag to celebrate inclusion and safety on our shores. On stage, God’s Cowboy explores young gay love, memory and courage, while global comedy star Nurse Blake returns with a new show celebrating healthcare heroes with his signature wit.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and historian Barry Charles lead a walking tour through Darlinghurst and Kings Cross, sharing the stories that shaped Oxford Street and Mardi Gras itself. For food lovers, Qtopia Sydney and Queer Food present A Taste of Pride, an immersive tour pairing dishes and stories from Sydney’s LGBTQIA+SB past and present.
The Miya Miya Film Club, founded by queer creative Karim Nasser, continues to celebrate voices from the South West Asian and North African region through film and art, raising funds for the Trans Justice Project.
Trans and gender-diverse communities take centre stage with Trans Oasis at The Marrickville Man and the SDH & Friends Laneway Market in Petersham, a free, family-friendly celebration of gender diversity. Beyond Sydney, A Bent Cabaret at FunHaus Factory Gosford combines drag, burlesque and live music for a glittering night of queer performance.
Mardi Gras App
The Festival’s evolution into a year-round platform continues with the new Mardi Gras App – a FREE digital home for event listings, safety tools, and queer-owned business discovery, connecting the community across streets and screens.
“We’re excited to see Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras launch another wonderful season of celebration and community. It’s a moment to come together as businesses, neighbours and friends to honour all that’s been achieved over the years,” said President of Sydney’s Rainbow Precinct, Shane Warren.
“Now more than ever, as we witness hard-won rights under threat in some of our neighbouring countries, we’re reminded of the importance of visibility, unity and pride.”
Tickets
Tickets go on pre-sale to members on Monday 3 November 2025 at 10am and general sale on Wednesday 5 November 2025 at 10.00am via www.mardigras.org.au or through the new Mardi Gras App.
The 2026 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival runs 13 February to 1 March. For more information, visit: www.mardigras.org.au for details.
Images: Glitter Club – photo by Ash Penin | Progress Pride Flag Raising at Sydney Town Hall – photo by Giuseppe Santamaria | Kaftana Pool Party – photo by Ash Penin | The Normal Heart – photo by Matt Byrne | Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade – photo by Ash Penin | Rainbow Beaches by Lifesavers with Pride (supplied) | Laugh Out Proud (supplied)