THE FEARLESS PARTY

What to expect: 11,999 new friends to dance the night away with. Photography by Cain Cooper.

AFTER THE big Parade, Sydney-siders and Mardi Gras visitors head to the Showgrounds to party until after the sun comes up.

There are always spectacular lighting and laser shows in the main halls, big productionnumbers featuring drag kings and queens and hot dance troupes. Sometimes there’s a big international act. Last year it was Cher.

Announced, so far, this year is edgy Aussie dance act, PNAU (Sambanova, Go Bang, Changa) and pop sensation Kim Petras (Heart To Break, I Don’t Want It At All).

There are usually smaller venues open inside the event space where you can expect more intimate experiences and more niched music styles and acts.

The year’s Party has a diverse line-up of DJs including Amanda Louise, Ben Drayton, Brooke Powers, Butch le Butch, DJ Charlie Villas, DJ Hamo, The Dollar Bin Darlings, Dom De Sousa, Feisty, HipHopHoe, Kitty Glitter, Magda Bytnerowicz, Matt Jay, Sveta, Toy Armada And DJ Grind, and Victoria Anthony.

SHOULD YOU DRESS UP?

Totally! Let your imagination go wild. This is one event where you can express your inner party animal freely – and you’ll be adored for your efforts.

DRUGS AT THE PARTY

After the Parade and everything you’ve enjoyed about Mardi Gras over the Festival, you may get the impression that New South Wales has a laidback tolerance of casual party drug usage.

Not so. There will be plenty of police around the showgrounds as you approach the main entry gates and a high chance they will have drug detection or “sniffer” dogs.

New South Wales has some of the strictest party drug laws in Australia. If you’re from out of town or overseas, you may be shocked at how punitive the laws are. On the Mardi Gras website Party page, there’s a link to a page called Fair Play. We strongly suggest you visit this page for a plain-speaking description of drugs laws and your rights.