Sydney World Pride
Sydney has been flying the rainbow flag high for years. And 2023 World Pride sees the celebrations get an upsize with the city’s first global Pride festival.
17 days of festivities and an unlimited amount of fun. Pride fever will hit Sydney in 2023. The city won the bid to host the global LGBTQIA+ celebration, beating out Montreal and Houston.
With 300 planned events and the return of the Mardi Grad Parade, this year’s festival will be massive. Labelled as the “gay Olympics” by some, here’s a guide to things you can see and do:
What to Expect at Sydney WorldPride?
Living it up loud and proud at Sydney World Pride will be easy. What’s going to be difficult is choosing from the array of activities available. But we’ve done you guys a favour and picked some must-visit events for you. Here are the best things to see and do at World Pride Sydney 2023:
- WonderMama Oxford Street Tour: Sydney’s LGBT Heartland
- BridgeClimb Sydney x Sydney WorldPride: The Pride Climb
- Naughty Noodle x WorldPride: Summer Spandex
- Sydney WorldPride: Opera Up
- Mardi Gras Fair Day, presented by American Express
- WorldPride Cruise on Sydney Harbour
- Sydney World Pride: Sydney Harbour Champagne Charter Cruise
- Mardi Gras Paradiso Pool Party
- First Nations Gathering Space
- Pride Villages
- Live and Proud: The Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert presented by American Express
- Mardi Gras Parade
- Sydney Mardi Gras Parade Exclusive Viewing Party
- Domain Dance Party
- Sydney WorldPride Human Rights Conference
- Blak & Deadly: the First Nations Gala Concert
- Pride March
- Bondi Beach Party, presented by Optus
- Rainbow Republic, presented by Optus
Oxford Street, Darlinghurst is Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ hub for a reason! Team up with a superhero drag queen on a walking tour to get first-hand deets of the Mardi Gras Parade. You’ll also check out cool places like House of Priscilla, Aussie Boyx, and the Stonewall Hotel and Oxford Hotel bars.
When: From Sat, 4 Mar
If there’s any flag that deserves to be proudly flown high up in the sky, it’s the rainbow flag. And who better to carry above the city skyline than you? Strike a pose with drag queens while climbing the summit of the Sydney Harbour Bridge for a memory of a lifetime.
When: From now till Sun, Mar 5
For all you folks looking to explore the Central Coast and wider New South Wales (NSW) area, get ready for a sensational night of Queer Theatre and Bent Cabaret. With an all-star line-up, look forward to a night of splendour. Think music, dance, theatre, storytelling, pole dancing, and drag at one of Sydney World Pride’s must-see events. Oh, and it’s hosted by the iconic hostess with moistess, Glitta Supernova.
When: Sat, 18 Feb
No WorldPride experience in Sydney is complete without a trip to the Opera House. Be among a lucky few to experience the city’s iconic attraction late at night. And celebrate the festival with a night of queer romance with a performance put together by award-winning director Shaun Rennie.
When: Sat, 18 Feb
Party, picnic, and live music – winning formula. Head on over to Victoria Park for Mardi Gras Fair Day! Check out over 200 stalls to look forward to. Plus, there’s the ultra-cute Doggywood pageant with all its well-dressed su-paw-stars on show.
When: Sun, Feb 19, 10am to 9pm
Set sail on an elegant cruise around the Sydney Harbour in style. You’ve got free-flow drinks and exciting live shows like live Kylie, Cher or ABBA tribute shows (depending on which cruise you pick, of course). Best of all, you can get to soak up WorldPride vibes by cruising around the Opera House sails, the Customs House in The Rocks and the National Maritime Museum.
Are you the sort of person that can’t deal with crowds? Well, if you want to avoid feeling like a tinned-sardine, why not live it up at style this Mardi Gras at an exclusive viewing party? Some cool perks include privacy, comfort, safety, and best of all, an immaculate, uninterrupted view of the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade. Remember though, it’s fastest fingers first as only 225 lucky people will get a chance to join this party!
When: Sat, Feb 25
How about kicking off Sydney World Pride with a private charter cruise along the city’s iconic harbour? There’s no better way to live it up than with a glass or two of bubbly during golden hour over the dazzling city skyline.
When: From now till Sun, Mar 5
Everyone loves a great pool party. And they don’t get much more fun than the Mardi Gras Paradiso Pool Party at the iconic Ivy Pool Club. Get ready for a splashing good time with a cocktail in hand, because there’s no better place to catch the sunset than at this famed rooftop pool.
When: Mon, Feb 20, 2pm to 11pm
Experience the rainbow heart of the world’s oldest surviving culture. Here, think of exhibits, theatre, dining, and drag housed in the stellar-looking converted train sheds.
When: Thurs, Feb 23 to Tues, Feb 28
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade will be happening for 10 days straight, a welcome return to Oxford Street. Visitors can look forward to various stalls, performances, dining, and shows that’ll entertain you after dark.
When: Fri, Feb 24 to Sun, Mar 5
If you could only choose one event to visit at Sydney WorldPride 2023, make it the official opening concert with performances from Kylie Minogue, Charli XCX , Jessica Mauboy and more. The show starts at 7pm. But try to arrive early at 3pm to enjoy the food and pre-show entertainment acts. Or just to soak up the festivities and good vibes.
When: Fri, Feb 24, 7pm to 9pm
The Mardi Gras Parade is back in business at Oxford Street for its 45th anniversary. And it promises to be bigger and better than ever. There’ll be 12,500 marchers and 200 plus floats, firework shows, and a new route from Hyde Park to Moore Park.
When: Sat, Feb 25, 6pm to 11pm
Get ready for one of the biggest shindigs of the year at the Domain Dance Party. Curated by DJ Dan Slater, dance into the second week of World Pride for seven hours straight of dancing.
When: Sun, Feb 26, 3pm to 10pm
This year’s WorldPride will be the first of its kind hosted in the region, this conference is a huge deal. The three-day program includes keynotes, panels, workshops, and networking events.
When: Wed, Mar 1 to Fri, Mar 3
Housed in the iconic Sydney Opera House, enjoy a two-hour concert held by Steven “Faboriginal” Oliver. Revisit the past with a trip down memory lane to “Tubowgule”, a place special to Aboriginal people.
When: Thu, Mar 2, 7pm to 9pm
For one day only, Bondi Beach will transform into the hottest party destination for revellers for seven hours straight. As one tribe, dance in unison on Bondi Beach. Dance along the coast together with the global queer community to house and electro beats. And of course, all colours of the rainbow are welcome here.
When: Sat, Mar 4, 3pm to 10pm
You can’t control moments of history as they happen. But going for the Pride March is your best bet of being part of a pivotal moment in humankind. 50,000 people in their brightest colours will proudly march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge for global unity. Joining this momentous occasion is free but you need to ballot for slots on the official Sydney WorldPride website.
When: Sun, Mar 5, 7am to 10am
Yet another mega event at The Domain is the Rainbow Republic, presented by Optus. Plus, it’s the last chance to party in the Sydney WorldPride line-up. What makes it even more special is that it is the last event of Sydney World Pride.
When: Sun, Mar 5, 3pm to 9pm
Frequently Asked Questions about World Pride 2023
What is World Pride?
WorldPride is an event that raises and promotes much-needed international awareness. Especially lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer issues for the LGBTQIA+ community. The first WorldPride was held in Rome in 2000. And also, host cities are selected by members of InterPride every two years, like the Olympics.
More than that, though, World Pride means a lot of things to many people, especially folks from the community. Read here to learn first-hand about their stories and how World Pride is special to them, especially this year’s edition in Sydney.
What are the Sydney World Pride dates this 2023?
For the World Pride 2023 dates, the festival will take place over 17 days, from Feb 17 to Mar 5, 2023. For the first time, WorldPride will be spreading its wings of love in the Southern Hemisphere and the Asia-Pacific region.
Where can I get tickets for Sydney World Pride?
World Pride tickets have sold like hot cakes since they were released almost half a year ago. No surprise there if you ask us. Still, some events are free, like the Pride March at the Sydney Harbour Bridge. But there are also events and attractions you can purchase tickets for – click here to check out more cool Sydney activities.
