今日吃瓜

Sydney鈥檚 Town Hall shone bright with pride last night as the Progress Pride Flag was raised to officially mark the beginning of 17 days of celebrations.

The flag-raising ceremony was attended by Mardi Gras organisers, key figures from Sydney鈥檚 LGBTQIA+ communities, representatives from various advocacy groups, and the trailblazing 78ers, who first marched in protest for LGBTQIA+ rights in 1978.

Their presence served as a powerful reminder of the movement鈥檚 history and resilience since the very first Mardi Gras.

The ceremonial raising of the flag signifies the start of a jam-packed festival, featuring over 80 events, including the iconic Mardi Gras Parade and Party, Fair Day, Blak & Deadly: The First Nations Gala Concert, the Paradiso Pool Party, Laugh Out Proud comedy showcase, and Ultra Violet, a signature event for LGBTQIA+ women.

With 鈥�Free to Be鈥� as the festival鈥檚 2025 theme, this year鈥檚 Mardi Gras champions self-expression and individuality, encouraging the community to celebrate authenticity without fear or restraint.

Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO, celebrated the launch of the celebrations, stating, 鈥淭he Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival is one of the most anticipated events on the Sydney calendar and one we celebrate with pride.鈥�

Last year, the event drew over 300,000 attendees and contributed approximately $38 million to the NSW economy, bringing a significant cultural and economic impact.

鈥淩aising the Progress Pride flag above this important civic building sends the resounding message that everyone is welcome in Sydney,鈥� Moore added.

鈥淭he City of Sydney has a very long history of supporting the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and we鈥檙e proud to celebrate the iconic community festival in 2025.鈥�

In keeping with its strong tradition of participation, the City of Sydney will once again join the Mardi Gras Parade, marking its 20th consecutive year.

This year鈥檚 float, themed 鈥楴ot a Fan of a Book Ban,鈥� will feature 80 participants in vibrant costumes sourced from Oxford Street stores.

The float will deliver a dynamic choreographed routine set to a mash-up of Armand van Helden鈥檚 You Don鈥檛 Know Me, Taylor Swift鈥檚 You Need to Calm Down, and Troye Sivan and Pnau鈥檚 You Know What I Need.

The theme takes a stand against the increasing censorship of books that feature same-sex families and LGBTQIA+ representation in public libraries.

鈥淥ur theme was developed in workshops with our pride employee network last year 鈥� it reflects the feelings of our employees and their push to stand up for the values of inclusion,鈥� Moore explained.

鈥淲e鈥檒l come together to proudly showcase the City of Sydney鈥檚 commitment to equality and celebrate the power of diversity and individuality.鈥�

Throughout the festival, the City of Sydney will display 90 Mardi Gras banners and 350 pride flag banners across the city.

These will complement the permanent pride flag and pride crossing at Taylor Square, as well as the newly unveiled pride intersection at the QTOPIA museum, officially opened today by the Lord Mayor.