After moving to the Sydney Cricket Ground as a seated event earlier this year due to coronavirus restrictions, organisers of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras have announced next year’s Parade will once again take place at the arena venue on Saturday, 5th March 2022.
With its theme next year of “United We Shine”, the 2022 Parade will see marchers take to the SCG field, with thousands of spectators and a live broadcast accompanying the event. Performers are yet to be revealed for the 2022 edition – this year’s event featured a lineup that included the likes of Rita Ora, Montaigne, G Flip and Electric Fields.
Once again, the event will be ticketed, with tickets on sale Monday, 15th November. You can join a waitlist here, and there’s a hardship ballot with 3,000 free allocated tickets that will also be made available on the same date.
In a press statement, organisers explained their decision to once again move away from the Parade’s traditional home of Oxford Street in the city, where it originally began as a protest in 1978. According to them, returning to the SCG will allow room to scale the Parade up or down if necessary, should Sydney experience further COVID-related restrictions.
‘Our priority with planning for next year’s Parade was ensuring we can once again deliver a safe event,” commented Mardi Gras CEO Albert Kruger. “There’s still uncertainty of what March is going to look like for us. Mardi Gras can’t guarantee that in the next few months things will be back to normal and we can safely have hundreds of thousands spectators on the streets.
“The Parade is too important to the community to risk having to cancel. So right now, when decisions need to be made, the SCG is the best option for us to guarantee that we can come together to keep the spirit of Mardi Gras’ history of protest and celebration shining bright in 2022.”
Organisers add that they will seek to bring the Parade back to its home on Oxford Street in 2023 for its 45th anniversary as part of Sydney WorldPride. 78ers and Mardi Gras members will also receive two complimentary tickets to the Parade event this year. Expressions of interest for anyone wishing to have a float, volunteer or have a stall at Fair Day 2022 can be found on Mardi Gras’ website.
Next year’s Mardi Gras Festival program will run from Friday, 18th February to Sunday, 6th March next year, with events spanning theatre, visual arts, parties, community gatherings, panel discussions and more. The full program is set to be announced in November.
