The fabulous Sydney Mardi Gras festival has returned once again with a spectacular calendar of events & parties celebrating LGBTQIA+ pride from 14 February til 1 March. We've rounded up the best places to eat & drink, while soaking in the pride festivities.
In no particular order, here's a handful of the best Mardi Gras offerings that are happening in Sydney in our favourite pubs & bars.
The Imperial - Erskineville
This LGBT+ institution is offering TONS of Mardi Gras events, from creative workshops to nightly dance parties all throughout 14 Feb til 1 Mar. There's far too much good stuff to list out in completion (over 25 events in two weeks!) but here's just a few of our favourites.
Drag Make Up 101 - Wednesday 19 Feb
Unleash your inner queen by learning the basics of drag makeup from professional drag performer Etcetera Etcetera! With a focus on some of the trickiest parts of drag makeup including eyebrow blocking, contouring & colour theory, you'll be completely transformed into a diva.
Drag n Dine - Various Dates
Across 6 dates in February, dine in style at The Imperial's restaurant Priscilla's. The vegetarian & vegan friendly menu comes with a complimentary side dish of drag. The special Mardi Gras editions feature special guests, including Trans Trailblazers, Indigenous Icons, Avant Garde Artists and more.
Hollywood Forever - Saturday 29 Feb
Transport to the golden era of Hollywood with this glamorous cocktail soiree. The ground floor will be designed and curated by visual artist Frida Las Vegas to be a nostalgia inducing and pop culture irreverent wonderland!
The Winery - Surry Hills
Back by popular demand, The Winery is hosting 3 nights of drag queen lip-synch battles. Hosted by Sydney Drag Royalty, each night you will witness a sickening lip-synch for the gods. The nightly show will set you back $20, which includes a cocktail on arrival. You'll also be able to werk it in the audience lip-synch battle!
Wednesday 26 Feb
Kylie vs Pink
Thursday 27 Feb
Shania Twain vs Christina Aguilera
Friday 28 Feb
Adele vs Madonna
Green Park Hotel - Darlinghurst
This year, the Green Park Hotel is throwing a whole week of Mardi Gras events, and the best bit is that they're all FREE! You heard right, no booking fees or cover charges to enjoy the 7 colourful days of Mardi Gras events - 8 if you could their unofficial Mardi Gras Launch Party on Saturday 15 Feb.
Monday 24 Feb
Bachelor in the Park: Mardi Gras Special
Ditch the dating apps and register to this free gay speed dating night!
Tuesday 25 Feb
Drag Trivia with the Liquor Sisters
Get ready for the Liquor Sisters' unique take on the traditional pub quiz.
Wednesday 26 Feb
Drag Bingo: Mardi Gras Special
Hosted by special guest Cassie Nova, ramp up your Mardi Gras week with balls galore!
Thursday 27 Feb
Kate Monroe presents: What Matters Disco
Green Park Hotel will be transformed into a disco heaven with DJs Kate Monroe , Special Guest Peyton, DJ FrenchKiss and Corey Craig.
Friday 28 Feb
Mardi Eve: Warm Up Party
Prep for the big day with DJs Jason Conti, Hamo Tevita ,Wayne G and Colin Gaff.
Saturday 29 Feb
Green Park Mardi Gras Party
The official celebration of the big day with DJs Rob Davis, James Turnbull, Kristy Jade and Deejay Chip!
Sunday 1 Mar
Green Park Sundays: Mardi Gras Recovery Special
The Green Park's famous Sunday Funday will be ramped up in this special edition Mardi Gras recovery party. Join DJs Kate Monroe, DJ French Kiss, Hamo Tevita, Alex Taylor and Baby Bear for a final dance!
The Clock - Surry Hills
Mardi Gras Poster Gallery - Saturday 1 Feb til Mon 2 Mar
The Clock Gallery returns for another year, showcasing artwork that has been created for Sydney's Mardi Gras dating all the way back to 1978. Take a journey around the venue to explore these posters, while enjoying a pub meal - $1 from every food & drink special goes to ACON, a community organisation that is committed to ending HIV.
Don't forget to use this year's official hashtag #WhatMatters as well as all the other #SydneyMardiGras tags when you're posting up pics from gay Christmas 2020!
