Mardi Gras 2017

COME PARTY WITH US! Tickets for our 2017 Mardi Gras Party are selling faster than last year - and last year they sold out! If you haven't got yours already, get them quick. The current ticket price is only available until Midnight on Monday 27 February, after that the price increases. Book here at Ticketek! The Mardi Gras Party is one of the world's biggest LGBTQI celebrations. It's an amazing, inclusive and hedonistic experience like no other, and this year there's many surprises in store for our lucky partygoers. All the amazing DJs are confirmed for our huge dance spaces at the 2017 Mardi Gras Party! Here's the DJ set times so you can see who's playing at the Forecourt, Hordern, RHI and Max Watts. QUEER THINKING @ ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES The Art Gallery of NSW is set for a fabulously queer makeover this weekend as we roll out a bumper program of events and activities to spark creative discussion and celebrate equality. Queer Thinking is a program of extraordinary stories, compelling panels of special guests, amazing artistic talent and incredible experiences. 2017's Queer Thinking events kick off this weekend with Queer Warhol (Saturday 25th), the EqualiTEA Party (Sunday 26th) and Queer Art After Hours (Wednesday 1st March) - all presented at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in association with the exhibition Adman: Warhol before pop. Politics in the Pub is brought to you by the Equality Campaign at the Beresford Hotel. FIND OUT ALL ABOUT QUEER THINKING HERE! SEE YOU AT BREASTIVILLE! With close to 500 women now registered, Welcome to Breastiville is the biggest LBQ Women’s event this Mardi Gras. ACON is taking over Marrickville Town Hall for an amazing day-to-night festival this Saturday Feb 25 as part of the #TalkTouchTest campaign.   Get down during the day for creative workshops, market stalls, free mammograms and the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir, and by night be dazzled by burlesque performances from Lillian Starr and Rosie Rivette and dance to the sounds of Bluehouse and That Red Head. Welcome to Breastiville is 100% FREE to attend! Register here. MARDI GRAS AT QT SYDNEY QT Sydney couldn't be more excited for Mardi Gras, and are inviting you to stay with them this Mardi Gras weekend. Check into a beautifully designed QT Executive room and you'll get all the tickets you need for the weekend ahead. Top that with a round of Mardi Gras-themed cocktails waiting for you in Gilt Lounge before the parade. Lastly, to make things a little easier on Monday morning, they'll hook you up with a luxuriously late checkout of 2pm. BOOK FOR QT SYDNEY HERE STORIES OF ART AND IDENTITY Join with the hostess with the mostess Joyce Maynge as she gets talking with talented artists Deborah Kelly, Jiva Parthipan and Liam Benson. Bringing tales of their own individuality and their identity in context, each of these artists will shine a light on the Mardi Gras theme of Creating Equality. Get ready to participate in this evening of charismatic conversation. Wednesday 1 March, 7pm–8.30pm at Customs House Library. Tickets are free but limited. Book now to avoid disappointment! A MESSAGE FROM OUR NEW SPONSORS AT HOLDEN: "Here at Holden, we’re proud to be the first ever official automotive partner of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. "We know we’ve only just come out of the closet, so we want to know more about you, and how we can help create equality for all Australians.  That’s why we were thrilled to get about 250 completed Holden Equality Survey responses from our Astra Lux Lounge at Mardi Gras Fair Day.  If you missed us there, we were offering massages as well as make-up and hair touch-ups to keep everybody feeling and looking fab! "We’re pretty busy getting ready for the Mardi Gras Parade but following our debut, we’ll be trawling through your responses to see what drives this community, and learn what we can do in the future to support you.  Can’t wait for our first-ever Mardi Gras Parade, keep an eye out for us ­– though we’ll be pretty hard to miss!" 6 POST-MARDI GRAS HANGOVER TIPS

Couldn’t say no to that second rainbow cocktail? Soothe your party fever with these tips. It’s the night of nights, when an explosion of colour, sound and crazy costumes takes over the Sydney streets. There’s nothing quite like the Mardi Gras Parade for a night of dancing, celebration, pride and passion. It’s vibrant, electric, exhilarating. And then comes the morning after, when chances are, you’ll be feeling a little worse for wear. Of course, we don’t encourage or endorse excessive alcohol consumption. The best way to avoid a hangover – and look after yourself – is not to drink too much to begin with. But hey, we all know how easy it can be to get carried away when we’re celebrating special occasions. That’s when it pays to have a hangover plan in place to make the next day that little bit less painful. Here are our top tips for surviving the post-Mardi Gras comedown.