Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

Sydney Mardi Gras is one of the world's most iconic LGBTQ+ events, born from a 1978 protest march that ended in mass arrests — the participants' names being published in the paper the next day sparked a community organising effort that built the event into the spectacular it is today. The February parade along Oxford Street is extraordinary: elaborate floats, world-class costumes, and a crowd of 300,000 lining the route. The surrounding festival runs for weeks, with performances, film, art, and parties across the city.