WorldPride Sydney tickets now on sale

August 11, 2022 Queer Forty Staff 6 min read

Sydney WorldPride kicked off its ticket sales and welcomed the international community with a giant human progressive Pride flag.

Nearly 1,000 Sydneysiders created a giant human Progress Flag on the steps of the Sydney Opera House to mark the 44^th anniversary of the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and to send a message of welcome to the world as Sydney, Australia gears up to host WorldPride in 2023.

Sydney’s famous Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is a must-do in the calendar of global Pride festivals – and Sydney WorldPride will be a 17-day celebration of Australian LGBTQIA+ fabulousness, with over 300 events across the city.

Taking place from 17 February to 5 March 2023, Sydney WorldPride will celebrate Australia’s brilliant and diverse LGBTQIA+ community, in a city renowned for its diversity, inclusivity and proud LGBTQIA+ population.

More than 500,000 people are expected to participate in Sydney WorldPride and the festival will feature much-loved events including the world-famous Mardi Gras Parade, which will be returning to Oxford Street for the first time in three years.

In addition, there will be exciting one-off Sydney WorldPride major events:

Live & Proud – Sydney WorldPride’s Opening Concert, presented by American Express – we’re getting the party started with this opening concert, hosted by Courtney Act and Casey Donovan.
Pride Villages – for 10 days from 24 February, sections of Crown Street and Riley Street will be closed and become home to stalls, dining and performances. On the final weekend of Sydney WorldPride, a section of Oxford Street itself will be closed to create a giant street party.
Bondi Beach Party, presented by Optus – for one day only, the sandy jewel of Sydney will become the city’s hottest club for 12,000 people.
Sydney WorldPride Human Rights Conference – the largest LGBTQIA+ human rights conference ever held in the Asia-Pacific region.
Blak & Deadly: The First Nations Gala Concert – experience a rainbow explosion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQIA+ artistry, across a two-hour concert hosted by Steven ‘Faboriginal’ Oliver at the Sydney Opera House.
First Nations Gathering Space – held at Carriageworks and running across six nights, featuring exhibits, theatre, dining and drag.
Rainbow Republic, presented by Optus – six hours of live music, DJs and performances await you at The Domain, for a queer megamix of international and local acts.
Ultra Violet – an inclusive LGBTQIA+ women’s party at Sydney’s Town Hall where burlesque stars, cabaret performers and drag kings take to the stage.
Domain Dance Party – dance with 10,000 of your mates at the biggest LGBQTIA+ outdoor dance party Australia has ever seen.
Pride March – 50,000 people will join this historic Pride march across one of the world’s most-recognisable landmarks, the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Sydney WorldPride Chief Operating Officer, Gabriel Pinkstone, said: “Sydney WorldPride is a party with a purpose, and will celebrate Sydney’s most iconic locations, from Bondi Beach to the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.”

“It’s the biggest summer event of 2023 and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back to celebrate Pride with Australia’s diverse LGBTQIA+ community.”

As well as Sydney WorldPride’s major events, there will be over 60 specially curated arts events and more than 20 sporting events as part of WorldPride Arts and WorldPride Sports. WorldPride Arts have been made possible thanks to Create New South Wales (NSW).

Sydney WorldPride will also feature a special one-off event in Newcastle called Pink Salt, an outdoor long table dinner to be hosted at The Station, featuring live performances and outrageous design.

Local artists, producers and party promoters are also being invited to take part in Pride Amplified, a dedicated open-access program for arts, culture, experiences and parties, with hundreds of events expected to take place across Greater Sydney.

MORE: OUR QUEER SYDNEY TRAVEL GUIDE!

Clover Moore, the Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney, said: “This is a fantastic moment for Sydney. Hosting WorldPride 2023 is an affirmation of our city as a richly diverse and accepting society, open to the world and inclusive of all, and a wonderful opportunity to help our arts, tourism and hospitality sectors that were so hard hit by the Covid pandemic.”

Gil Beckwith, Chief Financial Officer, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, said: “We’re incredibly excited to welcome the world’s LGBTQIA+ communities to our city for Sydney WorldPride and Mardi Gras.”

“This event will not only showcase the iconic surrounds of Sydney and NSW as a premier tourist destination, but it will also boost the profile of the Mardi Gras Festival to international audiences, creating a legacy that will have an important impact on the growth of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and our community in years to come.”

To secure Sydney WorldPride tickets, go to sydneyworldpride.com.

About WorldPride

WorldPride is a global event licensed by InterPride, which is awarded to a different host city every 2-3 years.

Like the Olympics, cities bid to host the event and deliver a comprehensive program of arts, culture and festivals designed to engage global LGBTQIA+ audiences. The first WorldPride took place in Rome in July 2000, followed by Jerusalem (2006), London (2012), Toronto (2014), Madrid (2017), New York (2019) and Copenhagen + Malmo (2021).

FULL LIST OF 2023 EVENTS

A full list of the Sydney WorldPride festival’s events is as follows: