Sydney celebrates Mardi Gras parade

Saturday, 28 February 2026 19:37

It is set to be a night of bling and colour in Sydney.

Around 10,000 people are marching in the 48th Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade in Sydney tonight.

Thousands more will line the streets of Sydney as the harbour city becomes a sea of colour and bling for the celebration that has become part of Sydney's culture.

Around 170 floats are expected to take part in the parade, with beloved actress and comedian Magda Szubanski set to take part just a day after announcing she was in remission for stage four cancer.

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edition of the LGBTQIA+ festival is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of revellers to Sydney's Oxford Street precinct for a weeks-long program of parties, performances and community events. (Photo by George Chan/Getty Images)

Participants prepare for Magda Szubanski's float.

The float, featuring around 40 people, will feature six of her much-loved characters who have featured on Australian television screens over the years.

With festivities that have been running from February 13 until March 1, this edition of the festival follows the theme "Ecstatica".

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Crowds gather on Oxford Street for the 2026 Mardi Gras parade in Sydney.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 28: Participant prepares for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade at Hyde Park on February 28, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. The 48th edition of the LGBTQIA+ festival is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of revellers to Sydney's Oxford Street precinct for a weeks-long program of parties, performances and community events. (Photo by George Chan/Getty Images)

The theme blends the festival's foundations in protest and visibility with unashamed joy.

Revellers gathered early in different parts of Sydney, including Hyde Park where the parade will begin, as well as along Oxford Street in Darlinghurst and Paddington.