Does anyone know when Mardi Gras 2010 party will be?

[CeeJay]

The Mardi Gras website has the date of the parade as Sat 27 Feb (i.e. not 1st Sat in March like it has been), but doesn't actually mention the party.

The Atlantis cruise site says that they'll be in Sydney for Parade & Party that weekend, but the Mardi Gras email just says it "arrives into Sydney during Mardi Gras 2010"

The post-event survey they sent out talked about the possibility of having the parade and party at different ends of the season. Not sure what I think about that idea.

In any case, I'm planning holidays around next year's party, so would kinda like to know when it's going to be!

Playing silly buggers with the dates isn't going to help them with luring tourists.

Anyone know anything?

[girlsOngirls]

Oh i wish i knew :(

[jiiinx]

The Mardi Gras website has the date of the parade as Sat 27 Feb (i.e. not 1st Sat in March like it has been), but doesn't actually mention the party.

The Atlantis cruise site says that they'll be in Sydney for Parade & Party that weekend, but the Mardi Gras email just says it "arrives into Sydney during Mardi Gras 2010"

The post-event survey they sent out talked about the possibility of having the parade and party at different ends of the season. Not sure what I think about that idea.

In any case, I'm planning holidays around next year's party, so would kinda like to know when it's going to be!

Playing silly buggers with the dates isn't going to help them with luring tourists.

Anyone know anything?
whats it mean "different ends of the season"... i dont want it going into late march.. with the way the weather goes.. i want it hot alllll round lol even if that results with alot of sweaty and SOMETIMES smelly people... I LOVE IT lol

but yes.. i would like to know when MG 2010 is ^_^

[Zakalwe]

From MardiGras members email:

Important Announcement - Mardi Gras 2010Today we're pleased to announce the key dates for Mardi Gras 2010.

Launch/Fair Day - 21st February
Parade & Parade Night Event - 27th February
Harbour ‘10 - 28th February
Party - 6th March

Following the success of last year’s launch we will again use Fair Day to kick off two weeks packed with the very best gay & lesbian arts and cultural events you will anywhere in the world. The quality of our semi-curated festival has improved significantly in each of the last few years and we promise to pack an even bigger punch this time round.

Mardi Gras Parade will take place on the 27th February in the usual place and with the theme ‘Mardi Gras’ History of the World’. This year Parade won’t mean just the start of a big night for Sydney, but instead a big week of parties and events that will run all the way to the closing Mardi Gras Party on 6th March.

The first of these will be a parade night event which we will announce in the coming months. The following day you are invited to join us for the perfect recovery at Harbour ’10 in the Royal Botanic Gardens. In the days that follow we will have a packed programme of daytime and night-time events right across the city, from the beach to harbour and from concert hall to dancefloor.

We are excited about this new format and believe we can deliver an even better Mardi Gras in 2010.


Why the changes?

We have moved to a two-week festival having reviewed other similar events worldwide. There are relevant recent examples of arts festivals moving from three-weeks to two in recent years and for good reason: it is very hard to maintain a world-class programme over such a long period. We believe our efforts will have much more impact in the shorter format. We certainly don't envisage shortening the Festival further.

There are a number of reasons that together persuaded us that we ought to trial putting a week between the Parade and Party in 2010. For one thing our research through focus groups and surveys has pointed to our members and ticket-buyers preferring that we experiment with the format. We hope you will support us in a change which we think can bring great results. Clearly all change involves risk and we stand ready to learn from the experience.

A more inclusive Parade and Party. We are aware that large numbers of Parade participants don't make it to the Party. They are simply too tired to appreciate a Party that runs to 8am after often starting early on Saturday morning. The same applies to our volunteers, many of whom are entitled to a discount ticket, but are too tired to take up the offer. Equally we believe there are large numbers who say they are usually preparing for the Party instead of watching the Parade. We would like both events to be easily enjoyed by as many as possible.

A longer buzz. One of the key things we heard from focus groups and informally this year was that there wasn't enough buzz in the run-up to Parade night. There was one really big night and by Monday morning Mardi Gras was gone for another year. We think we can deliver a much more sustained experience. We have looked at how other major events like Rio and New Orleans are structured and although both contain a single headline parade they maintain a longer period of parties and events either side of those parades. This is what we hope to achieve this year, providing a much more intensive programme of daytime and night-time events right across the city, using Sydney as a playground, to create an unmissable high-octane fortnight - and particularly in that final week up to the Party.


Mardi Gras' History of the World

Today we also take great pleasure in announcing our season theme, Mardi Gras' History of the World.

It is an opportunity for us to take a new look at some of the key events in history and giving them a big Mardi Gras Make-over.

We also see it as a chance to mark some key GLBTIQ figures who have made a difference or lived interesting lives. We will also use it to commemorate those who have been victims because of their sexuality.

Alternatively it's a theme that invites you to celebrate your own, or your organisation's history. We look forward to telling you more in the coming months.

[Christian Taylor]

From MardiGras members email:

Why the changes?

We have moved to a two-week festival having reviewed other similar events worldwide. There are relevant recent examples of arts festivals moving from three-weeks to two in recent years and for good reason: it is very hard to maintain a world-class programme over such a long period. We believe our efforts will have much more impact in the shorter format. We certainly don't envisage shortening the Festival further.

There are a number of reasons that together persuaded us that we ought to trial putting a week between the Parade and Party in 2010. For one thing our research through focus groups and surveys has pointed to our members and ticket-buyers preferring that we experiment with the format. We hope you will support us in a change which we think can bring great results. Clearly all change involves risk and we stand ready to learn from the experience.

A more inclusive Parade and Party. We are aware that large numbers of Parade participants don't make it to the Party. They are simply too tired to appreciate a Party that runs to 8am after often starting early on Saturday morning. The same applies to our volunteers, many of whom are entitled to a discount ticket, but are too tired to take up the offer. Equally we believe there are large numbers who say they are usually preparing for the Party instead of watching the Parade. We would like both events to be easily enjoyed by as many as possible.

A longer buzz. One of the key things we heard from focus groups and informally this year was that there wasn't enough buzz in the run-up to Parade night. There was one really big night and by Monday morning Mardi Gras was gone for another year. We think we can deliver a much more sustained experience. We have looked at how other major events like Rio and New Orleans are structured and although both contain a single headline parade they maintain a longer period of parties and events either side of those parades. This is what we hope to achieve this year, providing a much more intensive programme of daytime and night-time events right across the city, using Sydney as a playground, to create an unmissable high-octane fortnight - and particularly in that final week up to the Party.


Mardi Gras' History of the World

Today we also take great pleasure in announcing our season theme, Mardi Gras' History of the World.

It is an opportunity for us to take a new look at some of the key events in history and giving them a big Mardi Gras Make-over.

We also see it as a chance to mark some key GLBTIQ figures who have made a difference or lived interesting lives. We will also use it to commemorate those who have been victims because of their sexuality.

Alternatively it's a theme that invites you to celebrate your own, or your organisation's history. We look forward to telling you more in the coming months.

wow. it's interesting to read through this now and see it for what it is...

as for history of the world, it should be interesting to see if mardi gras honours bobby goldsmith as part of that theme, given that they took 50% out of one of his charity's biggest fundraisers this year... sigh.

:rolleyes:

[Gwen Stefani]

You just never know. I might be in Sydneytown around that time with my band No Doubt. I'll make sure to bring Gavin too. He's just dying to come.