March 20, 2009
EDGE's Insider Guide to Sydney's Gay Mardi Gras!
Megan Smith READ TIME: 26 MIN.
It's hard to pinpoint just why Sydney's Mardi Gras has become the world's best-known and most-loved Pride celebration. It could be the weather, late Australian summer is hard to beat! It could be the Aussie boys and girls, toned and tanned by a life on the beach. Or it could be the stunning city itself, whose Harbour Bridge and Opera House are global icons. Whatever the reason, the buzz surrounding the month-long festival kicks up a palpable excitement all around Australia... that's right there's something in the air, and this time, that something is Mardi Gras fever.
I've been to three different Mardi Gras celebrations (you can read about my scandalous initiation in a past article), and after the most recent 'Gras, I decided it was time to share my experiences and provide some helpful tips on how to get the most out of the glitz, the glam and the grandeur of Sydney in March. After all, it's never too early to start planning for 2010!
HISTORY
Australia’s Stonewall
To fully appreciate Mardi Gras today, you have to understand how the whole thing started.
Back in 1978, gay life in Sydney was not the free-spirited anything goes world that it is today. Much like New York's Stonewall stand in 1969, Sydney was a powder keg waiting to go off. Homosexuality was still a crime; political rights were still a distant hope; and police discrimination and brutality were common.
Nevertheless, despite the oppression, gays and lesbians were increasingly coming out of the closet, meeting up in bars and clubs, and organizing themselves in protest against the discrimination they faced, particularly at the hands of the police.
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One night, a small group planned to take a truck and music to go down Oxford Street in protest. Having had the opportunity at the 30th celebration last year to speak to some of the original '78ers, I can confidently say none of them could have predicted just what would happen next. The small protest, which had obtained a permit but then had it revoked, faced police hostility. The protestors called people out from the bars and cafes and the march enlarged to a group of hundreds, with a number of gay organizers being arrested. Those arrests sparked something in the community and Mardi Gras was born as a way to commemorate that protest and ensure the fight for equal rights did not fade away.
Over the years, the political and social climate has become more welcoming to the gay community, granting first legal protection and then greater legal equality. The police who were once the cause for protest now march in the parade and provide crowd control. Amid those changes, the tone of the parade has evolved as well into the mixed bag of celebration, entertainment, sexual expression, and, true to its roots, political protest that it is today. The parade, now part of a month-long festival of arts, culture and parties, incorporates 135 larger-than-life floats and attracts crowds of more than 300,000 to gay Australia's main drag (pardon the pun) - Oxford Street.
FOREPLAY
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This year's official Mardi Gras festival ran from February 14-March 7 (I say official because there are a plethora of events post-Mardi Gras not officially sponsored by the organization, but part of the experience nonetheless). That means three full weeks of foreplay before the main event, and plenty of reason to take an extended holiday Down Under.
Those planning to get in on the pre-climax action should consider taking out a New Mardi Gras membership to receive special promotions and ticket discounts.
Flight of Fancy
Having made the flight a good dozen times, I can tell you it's a long-haul from America to Australia. Which is all the more reason to consider booking a Pink Flight with Air New Zealand.
In 2008, Air New Zealand went high glam and higher altitudes on a Pink Flight from San Francisco to Sydney. D-lister extraordinaire Kathy Griffin and some of the finest drag acts from the Southern Hemisphere entertained passengers. Add to that gay movies and pink cocktails, and well, as Pink! herself would say, "let's get the party started!"
In 2009, Air New Zealand changed the Pink Flight format and instead of a long-haul option from San Francisco, they opened a shorter Pink Flight from Auckland to Sydney allowing for a free stopover in New Zealand. While there is no word yet as to what 2010 will hold, be sure to visit www.airnewzealand.com (including their dedicated Gay and Lesbian Travel section) for fun flight options.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
This year, for the first time ever, EDGE was front and center on Oxford Street, Sydney, as the Mardi Gras Parade and Party rolled into town. A gay pride celebration without rival, we captured it in all its glory in our photo album.
Up Next - more festival foreplay, plus the parade, the party and the recovery!
Cruise On In
For those who prefer the high seas to the friendly skies, you can cruise into Mardi Gras with Atlantis Cruises. In 2010, the all-gay cruise will charter a 5-star cruise boat from Auckland to Sydney for 11-nights (February 17-28) of partying down the New Zealand coast, then on to Melbourne and finally into Sydney.
Book Early
When it comes to Pink Flights, cruises and accommodations, it is definitely best to book early. While some last minute steals can be found, the best rooms and the best seats go early. Once you know that you're going, start booking - doing so will mean you can make requests and stay exactly where you want. For help with extended travel planning or finding last-minute accommodations (in the event that you totally disregarded my advice!), both the Travel Section of the Mardi Gras site and the "Rainbow" team at Flight Centre can help.
Arts & Culture
Anyone in Sydney for the weeks before the parade must get their hands on the Mardi Gras Official Season Guide. This glossy guide has details and descriptions of all the festival happenings. The easiest way to get one is to stroll down Oxford Street and look for distribution points - the guide is free.
Inside you'll find information on the Mardi Gras Film Festival, dance and theatre, music and literature (this year saw Roberta Flack perform at the Sydney Opera House), Cabaret and Comedy (2009 was the year of the one and only Joan Rivers in Sydney).
Party On
Even the most die-hard of party animals will be hard-pressed to emerge unscathed from the Mardi Gras lineup. Here are some of the pre-parade highlights.
Fairday
The Mardi Gras festival officially launches with Fairday in mid-February. More than 75,000 people spend a day in the sun at Victoria Park. From families to party boys, this free event has something for everyone and anyone; even dogs will undoubtedly love Fairday's Doggywood. For those freshly arrived, Fairday is a chance to thaw out from the American winter and take in some of that Aussie sun - just remember the sunscreen.
Harbour Party
Held the weekend before the main event, the Harbour Party is a unique all-day and all-night dance party in the Royal Botanic Gardens with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House in the backdrop. The entertainment is as top-notch as the scenery, and 2009 saw gorgeous gay Aussie king of pop, Sam Sparro, putting in a hometown performance that garnered rave reviews.
Tongue Twister
While most of the parties cater to the boys, Tongue Twister makes sure the girls have their turn. The biggest girl's night of the year in Sydney, 1,000 lovely ladies take over the Burdekin Hotel the weekend before the parade to mish and mash on five levels in one big Sapphic bash.
PARADE
Nations United
This is where it all began- a bunch of sexual deviants marching down Oxford Street. More than three decades later, the Parade is still the signature event of Mardi Gras. In 2009, the event was televised across Australia and the streets were jampacked as Australia and the world turned their eyes to Oxford Street.
In an effort to put the politics back at the center of Mardi Gras, the parade's theme this year was Nations United. Though the last year has seen unprecedented gay and lesbian reform in Australia- with equal benefits and access passed on a national level, though sadly not same-sex marriages- Mardi Gras Chair David Imrie said the committee wanted to use Sydney's high-profile pride to raise awareness of places like Moscow, where gay rights activists faced the threat of prison for trying to organize parades or protests.
To highlight the political message the parade was divided into seven continentally-themed sections, as per the Nations United theme. The Africa section focused on HIV/AIDS awareness, Australia on Youth Issues, Asia on the hidden aspects of sexuality (i.e. the closet), North America was all Proposition 8, Harvey Milk and politics, Europe and its papal twirling dervish was about religious intolerance, South America focused on gay marriage (Liz Dods, the Chair of the Parade Working Group, explained that was because Ecuador has gay marriage- methinks it a wee bit of a stretch), and Antactica was about the unrealized expectations and the future.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
This year, for the first time ever, EDGE was front and center on Oxford Street, Sydney, as the Mardi Gras Parade and Party rolled into town. A gay pride celebration without rival, we captured it in all its glory in our photo album.
Up Next - My guide to the Parade, plus the biggest party of the year and the recovery!
How It Went Down
While many of the political messages were serious, the parade itself was good ole' fashioned camp fun. The streets were blocked off by the early afternoon, and the music began as costumes were donned and floats prepared. As early as 4 hours before the official start time, a crowd had formed all along the parade route, eventually swelling to 20 or more people deep behind the barricades. Aussie comedian Pam Ann (who has described herself as a "a gay man in a woman's body" ) kept the crowd well-entertained as the sun dropped and the main event drew closer.
Then, at long last, the crowd heard the official starting signal - that's right, the roar of motorbikes coming closer and closer... and then... Dykes on Bikes raced up and back down Oxford Street - it was time to roll out the party train. The parade opened with the so-sexy-even-a-flannelwearer-like-myself-has-to-scream Matthew Mitcham, the Chief of Parade, in tight-fitting Team Australia gear dancing and shaking it like the gorgeous gay man he is. Trust me when I say the pictures don't do that boy justice, though they're definitely worth checking out!
Mitcham was followed by the lead float, entitled It's a Gay World After All, which had enough flowers and musical references for it to be called "It's a Prancing Fairy's World After All" - long live the great camp queens!
Watching the two and a half hour dancing procession of 135 floats, there was most definitely something for everyone (which is a good thing because everyone was out in force on Oxford St). There were stunning Pump Water Boys (or should I say men, because that was no boy-cut beef) dancing in next-to-nothing, Mature Age Gays, Jewish unions, the mayor of Sydney, firefighters marching in tribute to the Victorian bushfires that left hundreds of Australians dead and countless more without homes, Joan Rivers waving a rainbow flag on ANZ Bank's float. There were nudists and fetishists. There was disco dancing and drag star posing, there were parents marching for their children, children marching for their parents. There were lights, there were cameras, but most of all, there was plenty of action.
Some Helpful Parade Hints
Try as I may no description can do the Mardi Gras parade justice - it simply has to be seen to be believed. Having covered the Oxford Street beat a few times now, I've picked up with a few helpful hints. Though the streets are a madhouse, it's definitely worth seeing in person. Luckily, I have three great alternatives to fighting the masses, each of which provides a top-class Mardi Gras experience.
The Mardi Gras Glam Stand
Mardi Gras reserves the area around Taylor Square as a VIP Glam Stand, and it is well worth the approximately AUS$180 to be there. The price guarantees a view without the elbows (and random tall guy standing directly in your view) and also includes food and drink, an exclusive DJ set and toilet facilities (trust me you don't want to be fighting the thousands of people on the streets for a handful of toilets). The drinking is also a huge advantage as 2009 was the first year the police cracked down on street drinking. So, go glam and you will guarantee you are, uh, well lubricated by party time.
Dinner on Oxford Street
Another alternative is to book dinner (way, way, way in advance) at one of the restaurants on Oxford Street. Any that provide a second or even third floor view would be the best case scenario - book far enough in advance and you can likely request the best window table. This guarantees not only food and wine delivered personally to you, but the chance to watch the parade without having to tire your feet standing.
The Marriott
The last option is to book a room at the Marriott Hotel which has a high-rise of rooms with balconies overlooking the parade route. Opt for this one and you can make your own pre-party or watch the whole thing in your underwear!
Wherever you choose to watch the parade from, be sure to pick up the SX pocket-size parade guide with a detailed map of the parade route and descriptions of each float.
THE PARTY
Showstoppers!
The parade may have a little of everything, but it's the party where anything -anything!- goes. Throughout Parade weekend, every pub and club on Oxford Street pulls out all the stops for a round-the-clock party. Even so, there's only one place to be after the parade- the Official Party.
Every year, the party brings gay icons and world-class DJs to play for approximately 18,000 punters. While my first year, I could scarcely remember my name (let alone who performed), last year I was better behaved and saw Olivia Newton-John perform Xanadu and Cyndi Lauper debut her new song (an anthem if ever I heard one!), Same Old Fucking Story. Those two- as well as Aussie electro dance duo The Potbelleez and the gayest straight Australian in entertainment, David Campbell, performing with Carlotta- were tough acts to follow, and the 2009 lineup had their work cut out for them.
After a stop back at our hotel to freshen up, my partner and I (very luckily) snagged a cab, and turned up just in time to catch the end of a DJ set by Paul Oakenfold, then we hightailed it to the mainstage to catch a surprise 3am show that was kept secret even from media. It turned out to be the delicious Tina Arena singing No More Tears alongside Alison Jiear and some fairies in tutus riding bikes and dancing; the crowd loved every minute of it. When Tina finished, The Freemasons took over for a two-hour DJ set that was hot as hell- literally. Even the guy wearing nothing but assless shorts was sweating!
To cool off, we had a wander around some of the other venues before returning to the mainstage to see Katherine Ellis sing alongside The Freemasons. Then, it was a blur of disco dancing, hardcore beats and live rock as we moved from venue to venue trying to hold out until 8am when the final show began. It was well worth the wait for Natalie Bassingwaithe, formerly of Australia's soap opera Neighbours (the show that launched Kylie's career). She performed her new song Supersensual, which was written specifically for Mardi Gras and from her tight costume to the very fit backup dancers, the show was a feast for eyes and ears, and the perfect ending to the party of the year.
The Venue Run-down
Mardi Gras virgins can easily by overwhelmed by the sheer amount of talent on offer. Fear not though: this is an at-a-glance guide to the different venues within the party grounds and just who or what they cater to.
Royal Hall of Industries
This is the main stage where all the big names can be found. DJs play poppy remixes of gay anthems to a sweaty crowd. The DJs are world-class, with the sets broken up with three elaborate stage shows throughout the night. This is the stage that has seen the likes of Cyndi Lauper and Kylie Minogue in all their gay icon glory. Most of the time the shows are simply a single song that sees performers pulling out all the stops. The times are kept secret, but usually happen on the hour from after 2am until 8am. If you suspect a show is about to come on, get in earlier, as the doors are locked once RHI reaches capacity. With all those bodies moving and grooving, be prepared for RHI to feel like a sauna.
Hordern Pavilion
This is the second big venue at the party, and is darker and cooler than RHI (both temperature wise and the vibe). The DJs here tend more towards the heavier techno or house and the entertainment takes the form of lasers and light shows, something the people in sunglasses chilling in the seating around the perimeter of the dancefloor seem to appreciate.
The Forum
A relatively new venue for Mardi Gras, this has seen some great live Aussie band sets in the last two years. As a two-tier venue, The Forum is not just the place to see bands- it is the best place to watch dancefloor debauchery unfold right before your eyes. My partner and I spent an hour watching hookups unfold. The dirtiest definitely went to some queen so off his chops he lost his hands in some girls skirt (as if this was a frat party kegger instead of Mardi Gras?) for a good 15 minutes- not that she minded!
Dome
Hard core beats for a hard core crowd, here. Anyone into leather or fetish, this place was made for you!
Le Discoth?que
Le Discoth?que is exactly what it sounds like, a brightly lit disco tent that never gets too crowded, making a great place for a boogie, but not necessarily for a pickup.
Girls Party
Tucked into the corner, this is the only section of the party grounds that, in my experience, consistently fails to excite. That's not to say girls shouldn't come to Mardi Gras, just that the After Party is mostly one for the boys. Luckily, there is Tongue Twister the weekend before and the all-girl recovery party (more on that in a minute ladies!)
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
This year, for the first time ever, EDGE was front and center on Oxford Street, Sydney, as the Mardi Gras Parade and Party rolled into town. A gay pride celebration without rival, we captured it in all its glory in our photo album.
Up Next - Remember to play safe and the best ways to recover!
Some Helpful Party Hints
Having been to three Mardi Gras celebrations, I can tell you that it's no easy feat to make it to the end of the party. The party doesn't really kick into gear until after 1am, so don't rush to make it after the parade. Take your time, have a few drinks at the hotel, and have a nap to make sure you're in for the long haul when you do make it. Also, plan in advance how you're getting to and from the venue - if you're planning to catch a cab, be prepared for a wait.
Another important thing to keep in mind is your party costume. Mardi Gras is most certainly not the place for modesty; what you wear tells people what you are looking for. If you want to exercise your sexual freedom, don't be afraid to slut it up. If you're looking for the leather crowd, dress for it. Whoever you want to be, Mardi Gras is your chance to be it.
As a final note, many Mardi Gras parties- including the Official After Party- are infamous party drug scenes. The police often have sniffer dogs present, so if you're planning to take illicit substances (not that we're advoacating it), know Australia's laws and the risk you run.
On that note, remember to party safely. If you take drugs, have a wingman to help keep tabs on you and be "safe rather than sorry." After all- it's better to be a little more sober than planned than to wind up passed out in the med tent with vomit down the hot little number you brought to Sydney just for the occasion.
Note :: EDGE in no way condones the use of illegal substances.
RECOVERY PARTIES
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The party's over... or so you thought. The recovery is almost as important as the party itself at Mardi Gras.
Toybox
Toybox sells out every year, and for those maniacs who partied the night away and were left only wanting more- it delivers. Providing tunes and drinks in Sydney's Luna Park from noon to 8pm the Sunday after the party, Toybox proves its "daytime is playtime" motto all too true.
Turn up here and chances are you'll find plenty of mates to play with.
Homesexual
Sydney's premier circuit party, Homesexual's main event every year is the Mardi Gras closing party, a fitting end for the boys (girls your fun is yet to come) at Darling Harbour's waterfront club Home. Smooth tunes from some of the hottest circuit DJs and a heady mix of lounge space and dance floor, Homesexual has the dark lighting and the "hair of the dog" for an attractive and diverse crowd (though it is slightly skewed towards the twentysomethings and early thirtysomethings).
Oxford Street
From the Columbian to Stonewall to Midnight Shift, the whole of Oxford Street can be seen in pubfronts nursing a hangover with some hair of the dog. If a chilled out pub recovery is what the doctor ordered, just walk the strip and windowshop for the crwod that suits. If you can muster the energy, turn the windowshoping into some actual shopping on the Paddington end of Oxford Street were some great boutique stores reside.
Another must-stop is Darlinghurst Bookstore, one of the few remaining gay niche stores, reminiscent of the now-defunct Oscar Wilde Shop in NYC. They stock a comprehensive selection of books, mags and DVDs to stock up on for the long flight back home.
Bitch vs. Candy Bar
This one goes out to the ladies.
This was my second year at Bitch vs. Candy Bar at Oxford Art Factory and wow, wow, wow- the organizers certainly know what women want. Two dance floors, great tunes, strippers that make Jenna Jameson look like a Disney cartoon, and some great cocktails.
The main dance floor has a DJ, live singer and bongo drums for some different dance tunes from the normal club hits. The second dance floor plays old school top 40 with an R&B and hip hop edge. In between the two? A glass cage with the hottest strippers these eyes have ever seen.
While this year's was a sight to behold, the year before had two women pole-dancing while removing each other's clothes. The sexual tension was palpable and for a good hour, women pressed themselves against the glass watching and waiting for the moment when the foreplay stopped and the two women inside went at it like randy rabbits.
The Post-Recovery Recovery
When the recovery parties finally wind up and Mardi Gras is well and truly over, it's time to get to the actual recovering. And there are plenty of options to keep the holiday magic.
From Woolloomooloo in Sydney for some urban R&R to the hottest recovery destinations in Oz to Princess d'Annam, one of the most luxurious resorts in all of Southeast Asia, Megan Smith will cover it all - stay tuned to EDGE!
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
This year, for the first time ever, EDGE was front and center on Oxford Street, Sydney, as the Mardi Gras Parade and Party rolled into town. A gay pride celebration without rival, we captured it in all its glory in our photo album.
Megan is the Assistant Travel Editor for EDGE Publications. Based in Australia, she has been published in gay and lesbian publications in both America and Australia, and she has been on assignment as a travel-writer for Let's Go travel guides in Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii.
