Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has confirmed its official all-night flagship party will return in 2026 – but the venue remains under wraps, with organisers yet to reveal where the festival’s biggest night will be staged.
The party, scheduled for Saturday, February 28, has been described as “reimagined” in the program released on Thursday, though Mardi Gras provided no further detail on its location or format, except to confirm tickets for it would not go on sale next week like they will for its other events.
The event – commonly known as the official Mardi Gras after-party – has most frequently been held at the Hordern Pavilion and surrounding Moore Park precinct.
Speaking to Gay Sydney News on Thursday, Mardi Gras CEO Jesse Matheson (yes, it appears we’re on talking terms with Sydney Mardi Gras again after some brief silent treatment) said the festival 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.
The decision to keep the 2026 location secret is likely to spark speculation among party-goers.
Long regarded as the undisputed centrepiece of Mardi Gras nightlife, the event has in recent years faced growing competition from cheaper alternatives.
Official party at Allianz Stadium?
In May 2023, Gay Sydney News and The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the party could move to Allianz Stadium under plans to lift the concert cap at the venue and allow up to 20 nighttime events each year.
At the time, Venues NSW, the government agency which manages Sydney Football Stadium (commercially known as Allianz Stadium), distributed letters to residents detailing proposed changes.
On top of increasing the venue’s cap from an average of four concerts a year to 20, the plan was to allow rehearsals and sound testing to go until 10pm (instead of 7pm), increase the maximum allowed concert length from five hours to 10, and add an exemption to the 11pm concert curfew “for the official Mardi Gras after-party”.
“No changes are proposed to the concert curfew (other than Mardi Gras), maximum venue capacity (55,500 patrons), transport arrangements or operational management plans,” the letter, said.
Then-Mardi Gras CEO Albert Kruger confirmed there were no plans to move 2024’s after-party to Allianz Stadium, but said the proposal was based on previous discussions with the NSW government and meant that should organisers wish to relocate the event, they could.
Fast forward to Mardi Gras’ December 2024 annual general meeting, where then-CEO Gil Beckwith said “the party is not the cash cow that it used to be”.
“So how … we’re actually moving to the space … [where we ensure] that people have the opportunity to celebrate together with their friends is very challenging,” she said.
“If we move away from, say, the Hordern Pavilion on parade night [for the official party], something that we’ve been doing, going to for a long time … if we step out of that event we will lose that space, and I think that’s something we need to consider in terms of the DNA of Mardi Gras.
“So we are constantly looking for other opportunities for ensuring that our community have ways of partying.
“It’s actually quite challenging. Venues that are available to us are short, small, they’re not [available] overnight, not a lot are properly licensed or [are] very cost-prohibitive,” she said.
Mardi Gras launches new app
Mardi Gras also launched a new app on Thursday (now available for download), which will act as a hub for event listings, safety tools and queer-owned business guides as the organisation makes a shift towards year-round digital engagement.
Called “Syd Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras”, Mardi Gras CEO Jesse Matheson told GSN that the app reflected a shift away from printed programs and towards year-round connection.
“We’re going really digital,” he said.
“We are really transforming the way in which we produce the festival, and a big part of that is going to be [through] the Mardi Gras app.
“We will have all of our events available on the app.
“In the past, it has been quite challenging to go through the program … [and] the massive website, so we’re really working to bring everything together in one place.”
Matheson said Mardi Gras had also worked with Oxford Street’s Rainbow Precinct and local venues to ensure businesses can list events.
“There is the ability for businesses to communicate directly with audiences through the app as well,” he said.
“We’ve got a number of organisations that are offering offers and discounts as well for our membership program, and we’re also linking up our membership program into the app.”
He said the app is free to download and free for businesses to be listed.
“We don’t want to have a barrier to entry,” he said.
Additional paid tools such as push notifications will be available for venues, with $500 a year flagged as a starting price point.
“When you think about social media marketing or print marketing, it is very sensible and cheap,” he said.
The app, he added, supports both community engagement and Mardi Gras as an organisation financially.
“The app is cheaper than the printed program… and can be monetised throughout the year as well, which is fantastic for our future sustainability as an organisation,” he said.
Running from February 13 to March 1 2026, the festival will culminate in the 48th annual parade on Oxford Street, Flinders Street and Anzac Parade on Saturday, February 28.
Matheson said the 2026 festival, themed “ECSTATICA”, would channel the political power of joy and queer visibility.
“ECSTATICA is about euphoria as resistance,” Matheson said.
“The idea that our joy is powerful, political, and unstoppable…”
The program opens with the Progress Pride flag-raising at Sydney Town Hall on Friday, February 13. That night will see Ultra Violet at City Recital Hall, a femme-focused showcase curated by Sveta Gilerman and Jess Hill, and new event Black Cherry at the National Art School, centring trans and gender-diverse artists and performers.
Fair Day returns to Victoria Park on Sunday, February 15, while Kaftana Pool Party and Paradiso Pool Party at Ivy Pool will also be back, as well as Laugh Out Proud at Enmore Theatre.
Queer Screen’s 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival runs from February 12–26, alongside Queer Art After Hours at the Art Gallery of NSW on February 25.
New additions include plays “Perfect Arrangement” at Newtown’s New Theatre and Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart” at the Sydney Opera House.
And a new event named the Mardi Gala will be held at the Ivy on February 24.
Laneway will again close the festival on March 1 with a street-party takeover of the Beresford and Hill Street in Surry Hills.
Mardi Gras members will receive access to pre-sale tickets from November 3, with general release from November 5 via the Mardi Gras website and app.
Editor’s note: This article was written by Ben Grubb, who pays $50 annually for Mardi Gras membership to access discounts, including at retail stores and bars, but doesn’t 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: ben.grubb@gaysydneynews.com.au
