Cher the love at Mardi Gras
The pop queen’s a guest of honour and Sydney’s really rolling out the red carpet. Alan Granville reports.
Sydney is gearing up for one almighty rainbow-tinged party – the 40th Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras - and the Australian city will be awash with colour for the next three weeks to celebrate four decades since the first protest march.
Dozens of events are planned and tens of thousands are expected to line Oxford St for the parade, with a visit from music legend Cher at the after-party.
Here are just a few of those many events to keep an eye on (with bonus Cher song titles to introduce them):
Turn Back Time
Museum of Love & Protest
Amid all the partying, let’s not forget where it all started. The Museum of Love & Protest looks back at the incredible journey from the first protest in 1978 to the spectacle that the parade has become. On display will be original costumes, photographs and rarely-seen film and video footage.
Where: NAS Gallery National Art School, cnr Forbes & Burton Sts, Darlinghurst When: Now until Sunday, March 4.
When Lovers Become Strangers
Strangers In Between
If you’ve ever seen the play or the subsequent movie of Holding the Man (‘‘I’m not crying, you’re crying’’), then you know the quality of playwright Tommy Murphy.
This Australian classic about brotherhood is both funny and moving and features Australian TV Logie winner Simon Burke (The Devil’s Playground) among the stellar cast.
Where: Seymour Centre, cnr City Rd & Cleveland Sts, Chippendale
When: Dates between Wednesday, February 14 and Friday, March 2.
Take It Like A Man
Bear Essentials
A mini-festival within the festival, this gruff, furry fiesta is all about celebrating the hairy, larger man and their friends, their families and their admirers.
Highlights include the Wet Furr pool party and a Bear Safari to Taronga Zoo.
Where: Various
When: Friday, February 23 to Sunday, March 4.
All or Nothing
Sissy Ball
New Zealand takes on Australia in an epic dance-off, as competing ‘‘houses’’ face off in a vogue-style battle. Clubbers will experience a ‘‘genre-defying dance floor, live music, light installations, and an exhilarating vogue battle of the houses’’. Featuring New Zealand houses Fafswag, Coven, and House of Envy.
Where: Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh
When: Saturday, February 24.
Love and Understanding
The Parade
It has come a long way from its roots as a protest march in 1978. Back then a small group of hardy individuals braved the cold on June 24 to voice their opposition at the lack of equality, only to be met by police beatings and arrests. Over the past 40 years the parade has transformed into a celebration of LGBT+ and 2018 is set to be the biggest one yet with more than 200 groups walking down Oxford St.
Where: Oxford St Darlinghurst
When: Saturday, March 3.
Believe
After Parade Party with special guest
Cher Some couldn’t ‘‘believe’’ (see what I did there) that the music icon would ever make an appearance at Mardi Gras but here she comes. Who knows what time she’ll be on and how many hit songs she will pump out, but it’s guaranteed to be one of the most talked about events of the festival.
A smorgasbord of DJs, including Kitty Glitter, Alex Taylor, Ben Drayton and Sveta, will be on hand to keep partygoers dancing into the wee hours.
Where: Playbill Venues - Fox Studios, 1 Driver Ave, Moore Park
When: Saturday, March 3.
❚ All details of events at mardigras.org.au