Mardi Gras parades with pride
Image: Mardi Gras Parade 2023 participant. Image: Rocket K Photography
The 2023 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade made a triumphant return to its home on Oxford Street and Anzac Parade last night. A massive contingent of 208 floats, including many overseas entrants, walked the much-trodden route from Hyde Park to Moore Park to a several hundred thousand strong crowd.
In mild temperatures under a clear sky, more than 12,500 parade participants donning feathers, fur, sequins, satin, leather, lace, and myriad other materials, pranced and danced behind spruced up trucks.
Notable faces in the parade included Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – the first sitting PM to ever participate; Tanya Plibersek MP; and ABC Chair, Ita Butrose AC, OBE.
The parade was opened with a First Nations smoking ceremony and led off, following a long standing tradition, by the Dykes on Bikes, 78ers and First Nations floats. Other floats included the familiar QANTAS jumbo-jet nose, primped for WorldPride; police, ambulance, fire fighters, defence force; front line workers; and many not-for-profit and community based organisations.
Along with these were dozens of unique, creative, humorous and cheeky floats from independent entries.
This 45th anniversary Mardi Gras Parade was made all the more special by the pairing this year with Sydney World Pride. While the parade is considered an apex event it doesn’t mark the end of festivities with a whole event-packed week still coming up.
