By now, everyone knows that in February2023 Sydney Mardi Gras and Sydney WorldPride will unite to present a truly global LGBTIQ+ pride festival — the very first in the Southern Hemisphere.
unning from 17 February to 5 March 2023, the theme for the festival ‘GATHER, DREAM, AMPLIFY’ was developed by WorldPride in partnership with our extraordinary First Nations and LGBTIQ+ communities.
As part of the festival, greater Sydney will be transformed into a living rainbow art city, with organisations across Sydney, including the Royal Botanic Gardens, The Domain Trust and the Scenic Skyway in Katoomba, installing giant free public artworks to show our pride as we welcome queer folk from all over the world to celebrate with us.
Art installations include a 50-metre-long abstract floral rainbow wall made up of over 18,000 colourful plants at The Calyx inside the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, which is one of the largest living green walls in the southern hemisphere. The rainbow wall will form part of the Garden’s new ‘Love Your Nature’ horticultural exhibition, which fittingly celebrates the diverse world of plant life with a kaleidoscope of colour, form and passion.
The City of Sydney will also feature its own pride art installations all over the city, including light shows, planter boxes and a massive floral wall, which will be created using hundreds of plants in the colours of the rainbow flag. Randwick Council has announced that it will update its famous 27-metre long rainbow walkway at Coogee Beach to add the colours of the Progress Flag to include additional stripes representing people of colour and the transgender community.
In the iconic Blue Mountains, Katoomba’s famous Scenic Skyway will be transformed into a giant pride flag, which will be a dramatic vision set against our amazing world heritage landscapes, the Three Sisters and the beautiful Jamison Valley.
Sydney WorldPride aims to have over 45 rainbow inspired public artworks to celebrate 45 years of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Public space holders and community members have also been encouraged to create their own artworks, from flowers and lights to water and sculpture, based on any interpretation of the rainbow.
A Rainbow City map will be published in early February to allow locals and visitors alike to travel the city and view the glorious kaleidoscope of rainbow artwork.
Over the next few months, keep your eye out on the FUSE website and our socials for WorldPride news and event updates. Summer is coming, and after over two years of being locked away, celebrating pride will be more amazing than ever.
The full WorldPride festival program with over 300 events across WorldPride Official, WorldPride Arts, WorldPride Sports and Pride Amplified is available from the Sydney World Pride website.
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