Sydney Mardi Gras Party

The Mardi Gras Party is the official ticketed all-night dance party that Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras holds after its parade, traditionally at the Hordern Pavilion and the halls next to it in Moore Park. For decades it was the festival's big night out, with headliners such as Cher and Dua Lipa. It hasn't run every year lately, so check before you plan a trip around it.

When it runs, it goes from about 10 pm until 6 am on parade night. The 2025 party, on Saturday 1 March 2025, had a capacity of around 10,000, and tickets cost more than A$200. Tickets are released in tiers, and the cheaper ones go first.

On 3 February 2026 Mardi Gras announced that the party was paused for 2026. New CEO Jesse Matheson said it had lost money every year since 2020 and that American Express had ended its sponsorship. Resident Advisor also reported criticism of the party's links to Live Nation through its promoter. The rest of the 2026 festival went ahead, and private promoters ran their own parties on parade night. Matheson has said the main party will come back in 2027. Mardi Gras has announced the 2027 parade for Saturday 6 March 2027, but a date for the party hadn't been announced when we checked.