NSW Police strip-searched five people and used sniffer dogs on many more at the official 2025 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras party, uncovering illicit drugs including MDMA, GHB and cannabis.
The party, held at the Hordern Pavilion on March 2, drew a crowd of about 7000, according to Mardi Gras organisers.
While only four people were arrested during the parade, police have since disclosed the full extent of their presence at the party.
They charged two people with drug possession and issued future court attendance notices to another two – formal notices requiring a person to appear in court to face an alleged offence, issued in lieu of arrest.
Police issued 15 on-the-spot fines, known as criminal infringement notices, for possession of illicit drugs. These notices are typically used for low-level offences, including possession of small amounts of drugs.
Officers used three sniffer dogs at the venue and strip-searched five people, allegedly finding drugs on four of them. They also conducted general searches on 48 people and reported finding drugs in 19 cases.
No one was arrested or charged with supplying drugs.
The revelations come after the NSW drug summit delivered its final report to the state government earlier this year, recommending the end of strip searches and sniffer dogs at music festivals and similar events.
“Strip searching for suspected personal drug possession in all settings was strongly opposed, with attendees citing evidence regarding its harmful impacts. Psychological trauma, particularly for vulnerable populations was seen as a major harm and attendees questioned the practice’s effectiveness,” the report said.
Redfern Legal Centre’s Sam Lee, a supervising solicitor, backed the recommendation.
“We need legislative change to make it clear that strip searches should never be conducted based on suspicion of minor drug possession—not just at music festivals or during the drug testing trial, but permanently,” she said.
“Evidence shows that these humiliating and intimidating practices do not make festivals safer; in fact, they often encourage risky behaviours, such as preloading.”
The NSW government has yet to respond to the report’s recommendations.
The four separate people arrested during the Mardi Gras parade included:
- A 22-year-old man who performed a backflip on top of a moving police bus and was issued a criminal infringement notice for travelling on a moving vehicle.
- A 57-year-old man who was expected to be charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer in execution of duty without actual bodily harm, driving a motor vehicle in a menacing manner, and failing to comply with a police direction. Police allege he attempted to drive around mounted officers to get through a road closure during the parade. As he was being arrested, he allegedly threatened a news cameraman.
- A 33-year-old man who was charged with common assault and hindering or resisting a police officer in the execution of duty.
- A 48-year-old man who was charged with sexually touching another person without consent, and common assault.
Editor’s note: Journalists Eliot Hastie and Ben Grubb pay $50 annually for Mardi Gras memberships to access discounts at retail stores and bars but don’t use the membership’s voting rights.
Gay Sydney News reporter
Gay Sydney News editor