The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has been drip-feeding headliners for this year’s festival since a much-anticipated announcement on January 22, which heralded the progressive line-up drop, in the ultimate act of edging for prospective partygoers. However, in satisfying news for anyone with taste, today we can confirm that Grammy Nominated superstar Adam Lambert will lead the Mardi Gras Party (aka, the festival’s legendary post-Parade shindig) in addition to 150 other artists announced (so far!).
Having sold more than three-million albums and five-million singles worldwide, Adam Lambert sure has come a long way since competing on American Idol in 2009. Aside from his solo career – which has given us bangers like ‘Whataya Want From Me’ and ‘If I Had You’ – Lambert has also toured the world with Queen, stepping into the boots of the ultimate gay icon, Freddie Mercury, with his powerful and theatrically-trained voice.
Lambert will be joined at Hordern Pavilion by the iconic Ultra Naté, famed for her signature 1997 track ‘Free’ (you know, the one with the chorus that goes: “Cause you're free \ To do what you want to do \ You've got to live your life…”). Speaking of iconic divas who are famous for singing queer anthems, ‘Finally’ singer CeCe Peniston will command the Forecourt stage at Mardi Gras Party.
Elsewhere, LA’s electric sensation Slayyyter brings an exclusive Australian performance to Bondi Beach Party, joined by a truly stacked line-up of international DJs. Additionally, a special guest performer, whose identity can’t be revealed until mid-February, is poised to join this stellar line-up. Aussie indie pop darlings Cub Sport will headline Laneway, the renowned festival finisher street party that always kicks-on in and around The Beresford; and Sydney’s own songbird MAY-A (you would’ve heard her voice on Flume’s track ‘Say Nothing’, which topped Triple J’s Hottest 100 last year) is top of the bill for Ultra Violet, a great big party for LGBTQIA+ women that was inaugurated at Sydney WorldPride last year.
It’s time to start planning your outfits and stocking up on eco-glitter, because Sydney Mardi Gras is back in action from February 16 to March 3. The famous Sydney Mardi Gras Parade will return to Oxford Street on Saturday, March 2, followed by the official Mardi Gras Party at Hordern Pavilion.
While we're pumped to party, as the new CEO of Mardi Gras, Gil Beckwith, told Time Out's Alannah Le Cross recently, this year's future-forward program has a deeper message too (read more about that over here).
There’ll be loads more glittery action and LGBTQIA+ community events to get amongst on the night of the Parade and across the whole 17-day-long festival – keep an eye on Time Out Sydney for help navigating Mardi Gras, and start snapping up tickets before they sell out at mardigras.org.au.