LGBTQ
Sydney WorldPride 2023: Explore The Vibrant Events That Took Place In History
The 17-day Sydney WorldPride festival has gained attention globally as usual with various free and ticketed activities throughout the city.
WorldPride is the biggest LGBTQ+ festival in the world. According to the NSW government, the Sydney WorldPride 2023 has brought more than 500,000 people to Sydney as they anticipated.
The event is being held in the southern hemisphere for the first time. According to the state government, the WorldPride festival increased its tourism revenue by $112 million.
There might be at least a few that wonder what this WorldPride festival is about. Here, we’ll discuss everything about the Sydney WorldPride 2023 elaborately so that you can have an insight into the festival and the events that follow.
What Is Sydney WorldPride 2023?
WorldPride is a cultural event that uses parades, festivals, and other cultural events to raise awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) problems on a global scale.
People from different parts of the world take part in the event since it represents the unrepresented community of society.
Rome hosted the first-ever WorldPride event in July 2000. It was followed by Jerusalem in 2006, London in 2012, Toronto in 2014, Madrid in 2017, New York in 2019, and Copenhagen and Malmo in 2021.
Having competed against Houston, Texas, Montreal, and Canada in 2019, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras was successful in obtaining the bid to host WorldPride in Sydney in 2023.
The WorldPride 2023 has already been held in Sydney, the first-ever city from the Southern Hemisphere to host the global festival. The best thing is that WorldPride has collaborated with Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras to host an extraordinary event.
In addition to the WorldPride events, all of the most cherished Mardi Gras customs, including the Parade, Party, Fair Day, and Sissy Ball, will be held. The WorldPride 2023 will have over 200 events overall, making it one of the extremely popular and big events on a global scale.
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What Is Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras?
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, often known as Sydney Mardi Gras, is one of the biggest events in the world and the major Pride event in Oceania, with hundreds of thousands of visitors from Australia and other countries.
Events like the Mardi Gras Film Festival, the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade, and Party and Fair Day are part of the annual celebrations.
Sydney Mardi Gras was chosen to host WorldPride 2023 after competing against cities like Houston, Texas, Montreal, and Canada. The event will be the first WorldPride to take place in either the Asia Pacific or Southern Hemisphere.
Sydney WorldPride is essentially the world’s largest Mardi Gras. The event is even more significant in 2023 because this year will also mark the 50th anniversary of the first Australian Gay Pride Week and marriage equality in Australia, and the 45th anniversary of the inaugural Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
When And Where The WorldPride 2023 Took Place?
The Sydney WorldPride events of 2023 took place in the Australian city of Sydney from 17 February to 5 March 2023.
The first WorldPride event that took place in the Southern Hemisphere was a huge success and people from all over the world came to the city to be part of the festival.
With more than 300 events happening, the institutions in Sydney from the Royal Botanic Gardens to the Manly Beach and Blue Mountains hosted several events in the festival.
Even though the festival is celebrated to give rise to the LGBTQ+ community, a major portion of the participants in the event were straight people who stand for the upbringing of queer.
The 17 Days of the WorldPride festival aims to create a change and bring a long-lasting legacy for the LGBTQ+ community.
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What Was The Theme Of WorldPride 2023?
The theme for the 2023 WorldPride was GATHER. DREAM. AMPLIFY, which was created in collaboration with their exceptional First Nations and LGBTQIA+ communities.
Gather ❤️ Dream ✨ Amplify 🌈
— Sydney WorldPride 2023 (@SydWorldPride) March 13, 2023
Thank you to everyone who took part in the incredible 17 days of Sydney WorldPride 2023.
From the streets to theatres, sporting fields to galleries, and parties to conference halls, this was a party with purpose. See you at Mardi Gras 2024! pic.twitter.com/m8TKaJHyHt
It shows their dedication to equality and inclusivity and recognizes the traditional guardians of Australia.
The event was described as a “party with a purpose” by Kate Wicketts, the CEO of Sydney WorldPride. The event discussed and advocated significant problems faced by the community, which helps in empowering them.
The Performers At The WorldPride 2023
Every year Mardi Gras comes up with unique performances by several popular personalities. The Sydney WorldPride opening concert was by Kylie Minogue, the dazzling star singer of Australia.
Charlie XCX and Jessica Mauboy performed with Kylie. Kelly Rowland and DJ Dan Slater’s had an outdoor dance party titled Domain Dance Party which made headlines on the internet.
The closing events of the Sydney WorldPride 2023 included the performances of MUNA, G Flip, Peach PRC, Alter Boy, BVT, and Vetta Borne. The opening ceremony titled Live and Proud premiered live on ABC TV and was hosted by Casey Donovan and Courtney Act.
What Are The Events Sydney WorldPride Hosted?
Sydney WorldPride event has hosted around 300 free ticket activities and other ticketed events, including performances in theater, the visual arts, comedy, food, and music, as well as human rights conferences, family events, and parties.
The Mardi Gras Fair Day, Klub Village, Mardi Gras Parade, Miss First Nation: Supreme Queen, Mardi Gras Laugh Out Proud, Boondi Beach Party, Pride March, and Rainbow Republic are among the main events that took place in the Sydney WorldPride Festival 2023.
Along with the performances and parties, the three-day human rights conference served as the cornerstone of the event. It was an immersive experience with networking events, keynote speeches, and interactive workshops.
The LGBTQ+ people from all over the world attended the event to discuss and find solutions to the significant problems that the community is facing now.
Victor Madrigal Borloz, the United Nations Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity was a part of the event along with more than 60 national and international speakers.
Ultra Violet was another event that took place on March 3 and was the premier event for LGBTQ+ women.
The whole Southern Hemisphere, especially Australia and the City of Sydney was celebrating the WorldPride festival with decorations in rainbow themes.
Most of the performers and the people who participated in the event came wearing rainbow-themed dresses since they represent the LGBTQ+ community.
The City was lucky enough to conduct such a huge and globally celebrated event which helps in backing queer people all over the world.
Since WorldPride 2023 came to an end, people are looking forward to the next festive season to enjoy the culture and celebrations of the LGBTQ+ community.
When And Where Will The Next WorldPride Happen?
The coming WorldPride will be in 2025 and it’ll be hosted by the US state of Washington DC. It will mark the 50th anniversary of the Pride celebrations in Washington, DC.
Previously, the event was scheduled to be hosted in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, which would have been the first WorldPride event in Asia. But, it was late canceled due to the conflict over naming between InterPride and Taiwanese organizers.
The Taiwanese organizers suggested the name “WorldPride Taiwan,” while InterPride demanded “World Pride Kaohsiung, Taiwan.”
This dispute over the name ended up canceling the event, which the whole of Asia was looking forward to. The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs later expressed its regret for causing the inconvenience.
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