
4 minute read
SYDNEY WORLDPRIDE
TTHE 2023 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) is going to be the biggest and most exciting one yet. To align with their 45th anniversary they will join forces with WorldPride to bring the city streets alive for 17 consecutive days.
WorldPride began in Rome in the year 2000 and is a global festival that celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community. Cities all around the world compete with each other to be the next city to host the event and this year is Sydney’s turn.
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The alignment will be an important milestone for Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ community as it will be the first time in history where WordPride has been held in the Southern Hemisphere. Despite WorldPride receiving backlash when it first began, it continues to gain momentum each year and is the biggest organisation of its kind.
During the festival, the Sydney Region will host over 300 events and activities, ranging from arts, sport, theatre, concerts, parties and a human rights conference. These events will be held all around the Sydney Basin and will proudly gather on the land of the Gadigal, Cammerayagal, Bidjigal, Darug and Dharawal people.
The main event of WorldPride is the Human Rights Conference that will be held on the 1st to the 3rd of March at Sydney’s International Convention Centre. The focus will be on sydneyworldpride.com
LGBTQIA+ Human Rights, both in the present moment, the goals for the future and where the movement is headed. It will be the largest conference of its kind to take place in the AsiaPacific region. There will be over 1500 experts and thought leaders, ranging from LGBTQIA+ activists, campaigners, government officials, First Nation Elders, policy makers and many other stakeholders who will gather here from all over the globe. During this time there will be presentations, workshops and panels designed for reflection and to initiate change.
Although there will be plenty of parties during WorldPride it will also be a time for reflection and learning. We must never forget where the roots of the movement began and the injustices that have occurred. It will become a time in history which will create an important pause to focus on what is still left to be done and bring about change to those who are still facing discrimination.
If you would like to be a part of history, check out WorldPride online and see how you and your family and friends, both young and old can get involved.
Mardi Gras Parade Ruby Road
Tickets are on sale now to our brand-new Mardi Gras Parade Viewing Area, Ruby Road, where you can witness our grand return to Oxford Street with uninterrupted views, food, bars, relay screens and toilets.



Tickets from $50 + bf scan to buy
AGather. Dream. Amplify – It’s All About Celebration and Healing for This Year’s WorldPride
ALBERT KRUGER is the CEO of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) and has played a vital role in further developing and growing the organisation and building upon its focus on diversity and inclusivity for the LGBTQIA+ community.


SGLMG is a not-for-profit organisation and is built on the foundations of fighting for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, free creative expression, and challenging systems of injustice and inequality.
Albert expressed that the SGLMG has a long history and was born from a protest on Oxford Street in 1978 and as a result the iconic strip is the beating heart of the Sydney Mardi Gras Festival.
He explains that throughout the pandemic “we were proud to have never stopped marching, giving our communities in Sydney and across the world a moment of hope and pride during a very challenging time and that there could not be a more poignant year to return to Oxford Street — given we are welcoming the world Down Under for the first WorldPride in the Southern Hemisphere, as well as celebrating the 45th anniversary of the first Mardi Gras.”
“We were proud to have never stopped marching, giving our communities in Sydney and across the world a moment of hope and pride during a very challenging time.” everyone who still does not have equality. And to Amplify what is important to you, while also including and wanting the same for everyone else. It is about both healing and celebration. The event has tried to incorporate the values of inclusivity and accessibility for everyone. There are so many ways for individuals of any age to get involved. Because of the large number of events, the best way to find out what’s happening each day is to take a look at the WorldPride website and check out their festival program which will give you a ‘cheat sheet’ to all the times and places where events are happening. It is recommended that you plan and book early as a lot of events are ticketed. If you are looking at coming and getting involved in WorldPride this year, there are many ways that you can do this. For an all-age zone that is perfect for families then look no further than the new viewing area Ruby Road. It is located at the Moore Park end of the Parade route, so you will have uninterrupted views of the Parade. Feel free to pack a picnic or take advantage of the onsite food trucks, entertainment, bars and live screens to see all the action.
Each year Mardi Gras has a theme and this year it is “Gather, Dream. Amplify” incorporating the foundational values of inclusivity and accessibility. It is a calling for people to Gather and participate in a global movement. A time to Dream, about the future, of possibilities and create a space of inclusivity for
If you would like to listen to the Human Rights conference, organisers have thought about all the ways to make it accessible. There is a wide array of ticket options available for individuals and groups, including free live stream and online virtual options if you can’t get to the event.