Following a major easing of restrictions in NSW as of Monday, December 7 – yes, dance floors are back – the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has announced a further 23,000 tickets for the new-look parade at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in 2021, doubling the amount of tickets previously available and taking the SCG to full capacity.
There will also be 2,000 free tickets up for grabs for LGBTQIA+ community members who have been financially impacted in 2020. The tickets will be randomly allocated via a ballot system where 1,000 people will be selected to receive a double pass to attend the Parade.
The move to the SCG and changes to the annual queer festival were announced in November. This is the first time the Mardi Gras Parade will be ticketed since it started as a protest march down Oxford Street in 1978, where it has been held ever since. In February this year, it attracted an estimated 200,000 spectators (down from 300,000 the previous year), with many more people attending associated events and celebrations.
The additional seating will go on sale from 2pm on Wednesday, December 9 over at mardigras.org.au. People can apply for free tickets through the hardship ballot here.