Happy Mardi Gras! on SameSame.com.au

The day was finally upon us and nobody was going to rain on this parade. We all hoped for an awesome day and the sun came out of the closet just at the right time as Sydney geared up for what was one of the biggest Mardi Gras parades ever! Hundreds of thousands of people lined the parade route to witness possibly the largest contingent of floats for the 30th birthday celebrations.

Things kicked off at Moore Park this year as the Dykes On Bikes celebrated 20 years with the largest number of bikes to ever grace the parade. 250 motorbikes lined up along Moore Park in anticipation. I was lucky enough to ride with the Dykes On Bikes this year and was placed fourth from the very front with the beautiful Cass. By 7pm we were given the go ahead to hit the road and I can tell you the journey along the parade route toward Hyde Park was definitely one of the most exhilarating experiences I’ve ever experienced – the return trip was even better.

Being in amongst the roaring engines and feminine energy as 300,000 plus people screamed was totally indescribable. The energy that flowed from the crowd surged us all on. I can’t thank the girls from Dykes On Bikes enough for allowing me the privilege to ride in such a huge event, I will be forever grateful. Once we arrived back, I said my farewells and headed back to the parade route on foot. I met up with my partner Erik and we headed along the parade totally overwhelmed and immersed in all that makes Mardi Gras the party of the year. Shortly behind the Dykes On Bikes we the 78’ers and what a powerful statement they made. Thirty years on and it was incredible to see us all still fighting for the basic rights which should be a given to all people, regardless of their sexual preference or gender.

Fireworks exploded over the Sydney skyline as Margaret Cho followed the 78’ers and the crowd settled in for the rest of the Parade. People from all walks of life took part this year – Jewish gays, firemen, drag queens, the army and the surf lifesavers even made their debut. It was hard to know where to look as Oxford Street exploded into music, dancing and all the colors of the rainbow. The crowd was ecstatic – cheering on the endless array of beautiful people expressing themselves.

I can’t go on without mentioning the tireless work by the hundreds of volunteers who continuously kept up the crowd’s momentum – their work was invaluable. Everybody involved in the parade will tell you the adrenalin that you experience in the parade is second to none. You really feel like a rock star. You name it and they were there – Acon, Ankali, Twenty10, Gaydar, The Polly’s Club, the Police and even floats filled with government members. All up 150 floats rocked away the evening spreading love, joy and acceptance throughout the streets of Sydney.

Once the parade drew to a close, the final floats pulled into the Party. This year’s party sold out 18,500 tickets. The grounds had been stretched beyond capacity and there really was something for everybody. The police presence was not what I expected as revellers piled into the party site. You couldn’t move in most venues and outside was a sea of amazing people expressing themselves without any violence or hatred. By the time I arrived the party was in full swing. I roamed around the entire site checking out everything before heading off to see DJ Sveta rocking the Dome around 10 pm. The dome was quite dark and brooding, black plastic walls and a sick light show which filled the space. There seemed to be a queue at most venues all night – don’t get me wrong, it never took longer than a few minutes to get in anywhere, the flow of people was always moving.

Hex Hector was the next DJ I caught in the RHI and the music was pumping. The RHI looked awesome – three gigantic disco balls hovered above the dance floor and the lights were spectacular. Mardi Gras had predicted the RHI would go into lockdown as the night went on, when people found out what time Olivia and Cyndi Lauper were performing but this only happened once during Olivia’s one song set. The highlight for me was at 1pm in the Hordern when the laser man hit the middle of the arena with his 4D laser show – this was truly amazing. I was blown away by the precision and talent that went into it. Sure there were a few superstars to follow but in my opinion none of them matched this unique show, which really showed the diversity of Mardi Gras this year.

Next on my list of things to do were Carlotta and David Campbell alongside forty of Sydney’s most prominent drag queens doing I Am What I Am. I thoroughly enjoyed this show, never had I seen so many drag queens on stage at once without tearing each other apart! I also got the chance to catch Faker over at the live band venue Hot Rock. I really enjoyed this venue – it’s such a welcome addition to the Mardi Gras party to have live bands rocking the night away and obviously it was a success as the venue was full all night.

By the time 4pm hit the entire RHI was in lockdown as Olivia Newton John took to the main stage. Sadly just before Olivia went on, all of the media including myself were removed from the media pit by security without explanation. I was really disappointed about this and didn’t get a chance to enjoy her rendition of Xanadu before was whisked away to her limo. This was the biggest let down for me, but the rest of the crowd were in heaven.

I spent the next few hours roaming around the site checking out all of the venues as the rain had started to pour down. People began flocking to venues to stay dry, but nobody’s spirits were dampened. I caught up with friends at The Fuse Bar, danced away for a while in the member’s marquee which was my least favourite space at the party. It wasn’t long before 8am crept up and Cyndi Lauper – the closing act for the night took to the stage. The crowd once again packed into the RHI and she certainly didn’t disappoint. She performed two songs – Same Old Fucking Story and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. The venue tore apart with the screams of delight.

I have to say the weekend’s Mardi Gras celebrations were awesome and I will never forget it. The parade was sensational, so many amazing people expressing themselves, with so many volunteers and supporters cheering us all on. The party was a massive success. The police were not heavy handed and the night flowed with minimum fuss. There were very little arrests after the parade, just over 20 I heard for drunk and disorderly. Mardi Gras should be very proud of their efforts. Congratulations to all of the volunteers and staff for once again producing the party of the year.

Happy Mardi Gras!

Check out our Parade and Party photos right here.

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