Nadine Coyle will make her first solo Australian appearance at next year's Mardi Gras Laneway party, with Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras revealing on Friday the full line-up for its 2026 closing-night street party.
Laneway – one of the festival's most popular events and traditionally its final celebration – will take over The Beresford and Hill Street on Sunday, March 1, 2026. Organisers say the night will blend international names, local powerhouses and emerging talent as the festival wraps up its 2026 program.
Coyle, one of Ireland's most recognisable pop performers and a member of the British-Irish pop girl group Girls Aloud, will headline the party in what organisers are billing as a rare chance for Australian audiences to hear Girls Aloud classics performed live in Sydney.
She will bring her "signature vocals, solo hits and the anthems that made Girls Aloud global icons" as she steps onto the Laneway stage for the first time.
"I am absolutely thrilled to be headlining Laneway at Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2026 — it’ll be my first solo performance down under, and I can already feel the love. I can’t wait to bring the vibes, dance, and get ECSTATICA with you!" Coyle said.
Joining her on the main stage is UK-based Euro-house favourite DJ Paul Heron. Known for igniting dance floors across Europe at gay parties Brut, LA DEMENCE and Matinée, Heron has also produced tracks for Empire of the Sun and Scissor Sisters.
A strong contingent of Sydney talent rounds out the line-up, with Amanda Louise, Alex Dugan and Brad James returning to deliver what organisers describe as the unmistakable Oxford Street sound. Rising local artists TOMGRAAAM, CHRS, Dingo Disco and Camp Minister will make their Laneway debuts, bringing what Mardi Gras calls "fresh new energy" to the precinct.
Interstate names are also flying in – DJ Donna and Ney Like A Horse from Queensland, and Jason Conti and Miss Katalyna from Victoria – underscoring Mardi Gras' push to maintain Laneway as a national celebration of queer nightlife and club culture.
“Laneway has always been the moment when our community comes together one last time to celebrate everything we have created across the festival,” said Mardi Gras CEO Jesse Matheson.
“This year’s line-up brings global names, local legends and new talent into the one space, which is what Mardi Gras has always been about. It is a night that showcases the best of our queer music culture and the joy that drives us forward.”
VIP tickets have already sold out, and fewer than 800 general-admission tickets remain. Final tickets are available via mardigras.org.au or through the Mardi Gras app.
Mardi Gras dropped the Laneway line-up just hours after it confirmed interim chief executive Jesse Matheson would step into the CEO role permanently.
The Laneway announcement also comes after Mardi Gras delayed revealing the details of its official Mardi Gras Party, which follows the parade, at its 2026 launch late last month, including whether it will remain at the Hordern Pavilion.
Speaking to Gay Sydney News at the launch, Matheson said Mardi Gras was "really excited to surprise the community" at a future date with details about the official party. "And it will be a surprise … and you'll be hearing more from us about it very, very soon," he said.
Editor’s note: Journalist Ben Grubb pays $50 annually for Mardi Gras membership to access discounts, including at retail stores and bars, but does not use the membership’s voting rights.
Ben Grubb is the founder and editor of Gay Sydney News, an independent publication covering LGBTQIA+ news. A journalist with more than 15 years' experience, he has reported and edited for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, WAToday, Brisbane Times, The Australian Financial Review, News.com.au, ZDNet, TelecomTimes and iTnews, primarily on the topic of technology. He previously hosted The Informer, a queer current affairs program on Melbourne’s JOY 94.9 radio station, and contributes to LGBTQIA+ media including Stun Magazine. Ben has also appeared as a technology commentator on Channel Ten's The Project, ABC RN’s Download This Show and commercial radio stations 2UE, 2GB and 6PR. Contact Ben: [email protected]
