A dazzling display of pride and self-expression will descend on the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) once more in 2022, for the Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade.
Next year’s festival, set for 18 February-6 March, will feature a packed programme of events spanning theatre, visual arts, parties, community gatherings, panel discussions and more.
The Parade is always the centrepiece of the festival. It brings together LGBTQIA+ people from all over to share their passion, champion equal rights and show their pride to the world.
The 2022 theme is ‘United We Shine’.
“Our theme this year is a reminder of all that we can achieve when our communities rise as one,” Mardi Gras CEO Albert Kruger says. “It is a call to stand united against the inequalities LGBTQIA+ people continue to face, and empowers us with the strength that our history shows: that we have the power to create a more equitable society.”
Thousands of people will cheer on as marchers take to the field in a display of colour, community and love. It will also be broadcast live on television as it was in 2021, when pop superstar Rita Ora headlined.
Rita Ora
Organisers have decided that returning to the SCG is the best option in the current era of uncertainty, and it’s a place where the festivities have the best chance of proceeding no matter what the COVID situation. Capacity can be shifted and scaled if need be.
“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,” Albert continues.
“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.
“What we do know is that we can stage an incredible and safe Parade in the SCG.”
Tickets for the 2022 Mardi Gras Parade go on sale 15 November.
The 2022 Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade takes place on 5 March at Sydney Cricket Ground.
