If you’re not able to make it to the Sydney Cricket Ground for the official 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade, there are still ways to celebrate the annual event from the comfort of your own home.
With UK Superstar Rita Ora performing at this year’s event, official broadcast partner SBS will be bringing party-goers all of the action from 6 pm on March 6, offering a stellar line-up of entertainment and fun.
Kicking off the festivities will be a very special Welcome to Country, which will feature John Leha and singer/songwriter Scott Hunter, along with Koomurri, NAISDA and Buuja Butterfly dancers.
In addition to Ora, electronic duo Electric Fields, ARIA winner Montaigne and indie artist G Flip will all perform, while Joel Creasey, Narelda Jacobs, Zoë Coombs Marr and Courtney Act will serve as hosts for the coverage.
SBS will be airing coverage of the 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras from 6 pm AEDT, or you can watch the full parade on SBS and NITV from 7:30 pm. If you are able to get out to enjoy some rainbow fun, check out our guide to Where to Get Your Glitter on This Mardi Gras.
As if all of that glittery goodness isn’t exciting enough, our friends at Stan have partnered with Mardi Gras to bring RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under to the parade with its very own Stan Original float.
The 2021 float is themed “Homecoming Queens” and will celebrate Australia’s very own version of the global hit series, which recently announced Aussie comedian Rhys Nicholson as one of the judges alongside Ru and Michelle Visage.
In line with the show’s themes, Stan’s float spreads the message of love and being the best version of yourself, after all, one of Ru’s most iconic sayings is “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else?”
In a press statement, Mardi Gras CEO Albert Kruger said, “Drag Race is so much more than dips, glamour and gags. Drag Race has been pioneering queer voices and providing a platform for queer stories in the mainstream for over 10 years.
“That sort of visibility goes so far in helping foster understanding and acceptance of LGBTQI+ people all over the world. We’re very excited to be helping announce the local queens at Mardi Gras, and showing the rest of the world the talent we have Down Under.”
The RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Queens will be “ru-vealed” live at the 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade while the Stan Original Series RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under will premiere later in 2021.
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