A few drops of rain didn’t dampen the spirits of more than 200,000 people who flocked to Oxford Street for the Sydney Mardi Gras parade. As the annual street festival wound down, the sea of glitter-covered, smiling-faces, bare chests and rainbow flag waving revelers descended on the Hordern Pavilion for the biggest after party of the festival. 12,000 glitter soaked LGBTIQ & supporters from across Australia and the world spent the night dancing at the huge festival.
The headlining act was Brisbane’s own The Veronicas, who disappointingly only played one song (a total of 7 minutes). Festival organisers claim that this was because the glitter body paint would have melted off the two topless performers. I think this is a cheap cop-out as many party-goers felt robbed by the one song wonders. Also #freethenipple etc. The previous headliner, Tegan & Sara cancelled their performance last minute too.
We did love Melbourne 80s inspired indie group, Client Liaison who showed the main hall how much fun a full set could be. Their infectious mix of 80’s synth pop, deep grooves and high-energy dance moves had the crowd straining their bodies to the music. Other acts of the night included Dan Murphy, Nat Conway, Peyton, Steve Grand, Luke Antony, Citizen Jane and The Sweats.
The after party had a fantastic vibe. More spectacular lighting and lasers than ever before, and a crowd who refused to have a bad time. It’s times like this that make us so proud of what Australia has achieved and a reminder of how far we still have to go. Congratulations on another fantastic Mardi Gras!
– Tomas
Tomas Zagoda is a filmmaker, writer, coffee addict and tall person who does not play basketball. You can follow him on your social media channel of choice @TomasZagoda
For more Sydney Mardi Gras fun and to see photos from the event visit their website.
