Mardi Gras (12)

While Europe and America hibernate and shiver their way through the chills of winter, things are only starting to heat up down under. It’s summer time in Sydney and nothing makes the city shine more than the infamous Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras!!

This year’s festival will paint the town pink whilst showcasing Sydney’s natural beauty to the world!

To get a flavour of the 2010 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival, click here!

We’d like to welcome back our sponsors:
ANZ
Virgin Blue
V Australia
Cockfighter’s Ghost
Events NSW
City of Sydney
Budweiser
GayDar
Mount Franklin and
Atlantis
and thank them for their continued support of the biggest and best-loved Gay & Lesbian community event in the world!

Get nude alongside thousands of others as world famous artist Spencer Tunick creates a ground-breaking artwork on the steps of the Sydney Opera House on March 1st! Sign up to participate here.

Feel the love and feel the spirit, with the most diverse celebration of Gay & Lesbian culture, the 2010 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras.

Happy Mardi Gras! 

There’ll be no shortage of feather boas, sequins and mile-high hair dos when Virgin Blue Mardi Gras-themed flight DJ 857 takes to the skies at 3.45pm on Thursday 25 February.

In celebration of The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, one of the biggest events on the Sydney calendar, the airline has dedicated an entire commercial flight from Melbourne to Sydney to the glitz and glamour of this annual event.

Tickets for the ‘Up, Up and a Gay’ flight are available for purchase for $199 one-way which includes selected refreshments, goodie bags and very special ‘in-flight’ entertainment by the crew from Leave it to Diva.

Seats are going fast and bookings can be made by calling 13 15 16.

As a special addition, a number of fabulous famous faces are set to join the flight along with one of Virgin Blue’s own ‘drag queen’ cabin crew team member, Ms Marion De-Pilot.

Virgin Blue Chief Executive, Brett Godfrey, said Mardi Gras always attracts a huge amount of travellers from across Australia and around the world.

“People come in droves to Sydney to take part in the celebrations, especially from Melbourne, so we thought it was a great opportunity to quiff our beehives, break out the sequins and kick off the party early by getting into the spirit of Mardi Gras ‘Priscilla’ style on the journey there.”

As the official airline for New Mardi Gras, Virgin Blue and will also feature its very own float in the main parade event on Saturday 27 February.

Brett Godfrey continued, “This is the biggest party in Australia and since Virgin Blue has been in existence we’ve had some kind of affiliation with Mardi Gras.”

Seats on the ‘Up, Up and a Gay’ flight are on SALE NOW for $199!!! Call 13 15 16

New Mardi Gras (NMG) and Virgin Blue today announced details of a major push to bring interstate visitors to the 2010 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras.

The two organisations have collaborated to put together five highly integrated deals including airfares, accommodation and event tickets, available through Blue Holidays, the holiday program of Virgin Blue. The packages will allow visitors to get the very best out of Mardi Gras with one simple purchase.

Click here to check out these packages!

Two packages focus on the weekend of the Parade, which this year takes place on 27th February. One other focuses on the Mardi Gras Party weekend of 6th and 7th March. Two further week-long packages offer visitors the chance to enjoy the most exciting week-long program ever offered by New Mardi Gras.

Packages include tickets to many of this year’s Mardi Gras’ most coveted events, including a wide range of parties, arts and cultural events and social events around Sydney’s tourist attractions from Manly Beach to Luna Park. They also include exclusive parade viewing access.

The packages will be promoted through a joint print and online campaign, targeting both interstate markets and New Zealand.

In August 2009, Events NSW research showing that Mardi Gras brought over 21,000 visitors into New South Wales in 2009, generating almost $30 million in new money for the State.

“We are delighted to have these packages out in the market,” said NMG Head of Marketing & Communications Damien Eames. “We have an exceptional season planned and these holidays really make the most of the events we’re hosting all over Sydney.”

Virgin Blue General Manager Public Affairs, Heather Jeffrey, said “Mardi Gras is one of the biggest events on the calendar and we’re pleased to be associated with NMG, working together to package up unique holidays and experiences so travelers can make the most of their time while in Sydney.”

New Mardi Gras today announced the signing of a new sponsorship agreement with Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Blue Airlines group - comprising brand new long haul international airline V Australia, long time supporter Virgin Blue and sister airline Pacific Blue Airlines which flies to New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands.

The new four year agreement, designed to target growth in visitor numbers to the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras will see the airlines assist in promoting the event across a growing network now spanning 28 Australian cities and towns and 13 international destinations including the USA, South Pacific and Southeast Asian countries.

“Mardi Gras is an amazing, spectacular, international celebration and right across our network our team understand the significance and importance of it,” said Heather Jeffery, General Manager of Media and Communications for the Virgin Blue airlines.

“Many of our Virgin Blue team members have had enormous fun supporting Mardi Gras for the past three years and now with an expanding airline network, we look forward to helping bring even more international and local visitors to experience the colour, creativity and community which underpins yet another iconic Sydney event,” she said.

“I am so proud that Virgin Blue is back for another term and tremendously excited that V Australia has come on board,” said New Mardi Gras CEO Anna McInerney.

“We will be encouraging people to fly with New Mardi Gras friendly airlines and Virgin Blue and V Australia’s booking facilities will be easily accessible via the New Mardi Gras website so that patrons can easily access flight prices and times for their trip to Sydney.

In August, Events NSW research showing that Mardi Gras brought over 21,000 visitors into New South Wales in 2009, generating almost $30 million in new money for the State. Of these visitors New Mardi Gras estimates that just under half are international travelers with the US and UK each accounting for just under a third of the total.

The times they are a changin’ – finally!
 
In 2007 a Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission report recommended more than a hundred amendments to federal law in Australia. The then government sidelined the report as too controversial. The community, we were told, was not ready for it. The new federal government introduced many of the reforms in 2008 with little opposition, proving society was in advance of the politicians.
 
Our Mardi Gras partners and partnerships demonstrate the large intellectual movement afoot in Australia. All of our partners truly believe that it is intolerable for any person, straight or gay to be discriminated against. When “blue-chip” companies recognize sexually - orientated minorities as an attribute of their corporate nature, we can be certain that we are on the path towards treating all citizens of our nation equally.
 
Change and progress takes time.
 
Since the 1969 Stonewall riots and the original 1978 Sydney protest march, much has been learnt and achieved. Indeed, not everything has been achieved.  But one day it will be.
 
Our partners and partnerships are stimulating the process of reform. Be sure of that. Together with us in the Mardi Gras spirit, one that has generated reform and challenged the status quo we celebrate, congratulate and pay tribute to our partners.
 
Acknowledging Mardi Gras as the world’s premiere GLBT festival were our government partners, Events NSW and the City of Sydney. We celebrated with first time sponsors Flight Centre, Midori, Atlantis and Budweiser. Joining us again to create a brave new world was ANZ, IKEA, Red Bull, Gaydar, Virgin Blue, Pump and SX.
 
Our partners’ bravery and commitment are vital in helping the community achieve the ultimate goal of creating laws that protect minorities and assures all people of a full and equal place in the society of our nation.
 
Nations United…imagine that!
 
Yours in unity,
 
Greg Segal
Director
Mixitup