Entertainment · Music · 3 hrs ago
Sydney Mardi Gras party to return in 2027 after financial troubles
Sydney Mardi Gras organisers have confirmed the party will return in 2027 after it was cancelled this year.
The post-parade celebration is set for March 6 in tunnels beneath Sydney Football Stadium.
Organisers cancelled the 2026 party weeks before the parade, saying it had been running at a significant loss.
The 2026 event was estimated to cost about $2 million, more than the parade itself.
The party had previously helped fund the parade and is a long-running part of the LGBTQIA+ festival.
Organisers will announce the full performer line-up next Tuesday, while member ticket sales open November 9 and general and party pre-sales begin November 12.
The festival runs from February 12 to March 7, 2027, with the parade scheduled for March 6.
Sydney Mardi Gras will hold its post-parade party again in 2027 after cancelling the event in February because of financial difficulties.
The party is scheduled for March 6 in tunnels beneath Sydney Football Stadium.
Mardi Gras CEO Jesse Matheson said the event had run at a deficit since 2020.
The 2026 party was estimated to cost about $2 million, more than the parade itself.
The 49th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival will run from February 12 to March 7, 2027.
- Who
- Sydney Mardi Gras organisers, led by CEO Jesse Matheson, announced the party’s return.
- What
- The post-parade celebration will return in 2027. The performer line-up is to be announced later.
- When
- March 6, 2027.
- Where
- Tunnels beneath Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney.
- Why
- The party was cancelled in February after financial losses put its future in doubt. Organisers have since had time to stabilise the organisation.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Organisers cancelled the party, which had been due to take place shortly before the February 28 parade.
CEO Jesse Matheson announced the party would return in 2027.
The party is scheduled to take place in tunnels beneath Sydney Football Stadium, alongside the annual parade.
- Return date
- March 6, 2027
- Venue
- Tunnels beneath Sydney Football Stadium
- Estimated cost of 2026 party
- About $2 million
- Festival dates
- February 12 to March 7, 2027
- Festival edition
- 49th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival
What people are saying
From 10pm to 6am we are transforming the spaces underneath one of Sydney s most iconic stadiums into an electrifying playground of music, light performance and unapologetic queer celebration
We are re-imagining one of the most iconic parties in LGBTQIA+ history for a whole new era
We really enjoy the community shows, we are friends with a lot of the drag queens and the performers and the local acts
I think it should go back to more of a community thing and not try and sell tickets just on who's appearing