Comments on: What The Hell Happened With Mardi Gras in 2024?

By: Alan Spackman

Alan Spackman — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 22:23:57 +0000

The whole event is too inflated and monetised to have any meaning for the community. It’s mainly driven by profit and what’s next bigger and brighter.

Scale it back to a modest and meaningful size. Seems like with the stats it’s happing by default.

Ticket prices are absurd and should be scaled back without the flash. Give more focus to suburban communities in the west. It’s seems like this is and has been a more eastern suburbs event.

LGBTQI are everywhere why travel to the centre when there is none fading fast.

By: G. Jarrett

G. Jarrett — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 23:30:28 +0000

Not to mention the fact that many gays are feeling alienated by all the woke stuff that is infecting gay organisations eg the head of Mardi Gras writing to the PM telling him that gay people stand with Palestinians etc. Damned cheek purporting to speak for all of us. There are many other examples including the fact it is very difficult to get anything published in the gay press that disagrees with attitudes that are being forced not only on us but everyone else as well. Some of us deplore the way we/all of us are being portrayed in the media as pushing over the top agenda’s of the transgender community and as we aren’t “radicals” there is no longer the same pride in being seen as part of the gay community.

By: Ken Mackie

Ken Mackie — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 12:35:30 +0000

In our country town we have a community parade…it’s nice but boring…Mardi gras is just equal to this now…it is filled with community groups of people wearing a tshirt, logo, and nothing else…finish Mardi gras. No one interstate is interested…I remember when in the 1990s we’d travel to see an edgy political sexy Sydney parade full of floats, marching boys, girls, drag, and kink groups…now days, we’d probably see a group from the local Woolworths marching behind a white truck with a few lights. It’s become so woke, stale, uninteresting…can it and let it die olease

By: Waz

Waz — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 12:07:22 +0000

I already reached out to you at the time of Mardi Gras. The reason I boycotted Mardi Gras was the back flip on the police presence. I also know many others that avoided for the same reason. So you can look for any excuse, but there is a huge part of your lack of attendance!

By: Robert McCormick

Robert McCormick — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 05:55:54 +0000

Maybe ticket sales were down for two main reasons.
1) They were too expensive
2) The cost of Living has gone through the roof and people simply find just day-to-day living is a battle and nothing is left for fun things
We did not attend because it was too expensive to get to Sydney let alone pay the exorbitant prices for hotels etc.
We did try to watch the parade on TV but gave up because the ABC-TV commentators and their “guests” showed no interest in the parade at all and only wanted to chatter about themselves. No apologies, people, but we are simply not interested in anything any of you have to say.
Were there any new floats? was there annything really different to all the other G&L Mardi Gras? Just seemed a bit tacky and tired – or those bits the chatterers allowed us to see seemed to be.

By: RICHARD

RICHARD — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 03:46:58 +0000

i was not at the Mardi Gras this year and when i watched it on the ABC i thought there was some bias there as WELL POOR COVERAGE ….GO BACK TO SBS BUT ALSO WHEN THE PRICE GET OVER TH TOP FOR ALL SORTS OF THINGS IT WOULD BE NICE IF, THEY, THE SO CALLED ORGANISERS, UNDERSTOOD OR AT LEAST TRIED TO, THAT MONEY DOES NOT GROW ON TREES EVEN FOR US GAY FOLKS…. THE MANAGEMENT OF THIS IMPORTANT PARADE NEEDS TO HAVE A GOOD LOOK AT THEM SELVES AND BE CIRCUMSPECT IN THEIR NEEDS AND OFFERINGS…SHAME IT WAS SO POOR …I WAS RATHER LOOKING FORWARD TO IT

By: Richard Hamilton

Richard Hamilton — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 03:24:30 +0000

I guess it’s no longer fabulous to be gay on its own, where as earlier years it was considered ‘out there’ and cutting edge.
My husband and I live in a remote country town in Nth West NSW and are out, he is the shire mayor and a member of the local fire brigade, I am a farmer and along with numerous other gay and lesbian couples both young and old are accepted in the broad community to the point where you’d need to find a new hussle if you wanted to be controversial.and upset the local CWA ladies.
A massive decline in numbers attending the MG parade and events was inevitable, unfortunately for SGLMG it is the result of many of us having a desire eventually to melt into society and be accepted for who we are and being gay is only a small part of that. The battles fought the war now won as stated in your article.

Sydney G&L Mardi Gras still is relevant and has a required presence however it’ll take more than just being a homosexual event to be a draw card as it’s no longer outrageous in itself.

By: John

John — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 02:28:36 +0000

Well done, Chloe. This is a fine piece of writing and an important topic to explore right now.
I just wished this story ran for another 6 pars or so to explore in more detail the final par – why (or how) does MG need to continue on for future generations?
I have never seen such apathy towards MG as this year, with the cost of living crisis making many turn away from the big parties and with the damage done to the MG ‘brand’ in recent years by delivering pretty woeful After Parade parties that are a world away from the brilliant – and way less costly – celebrations of years gone by. I will never pay $249 for a small party in the Hordern and a couple of other venues. But then, I am older now and the party is not for me – but I also know very few younger people willing to pay that price for what is delivered.

By: James

James — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 02:20:44 +0000

I didn’t attend Mardi Gras this year as I was nervous for my safety because of the pro-Palestine protestors from Pride-in-Protest. I also didn’t attend any events (usually I try and catch/see at least 6-10 events per year)

By: Crawford David

Crawford David — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 00:23:53 +0000

After the disgusting treatment I experienced in 2020 I vowed never to go near a MG event ever again. Perhaps the community has finally had a gutfull of being served an underrated after party events.

By: Antonio

Antonio — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 23:54:19 +0000

The Mardi Gras Parade has become boring! It doesn’t know what it is anymore. It’s full of marches who don’t seem to me to represent what used to be a community. It’s too woke, trying so hard not to offend anyone under the alphabet umbrella which has become a dumping ground for anyone not heterosexual.
It’s events are trying too hard to outdo each other and becoming so expensive with over the top extravaganza’s that most people (financially) choose to attend fewer events.
Time to retire it.

By: C.Moore Hardy

C.Moore Hardy — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 23:47:40 +0000

No matter what the current generations think about Mardi Gras(MG), it will survive. Yes, post the 2002 Gay Games there was a ‘slump’ in the market putting financial pressure on MG but the great thing about our community is that we keep growing and constantly evolving. The financial situation always needs close scrutiny, but there’s another generation of queers & allies who want to feel the love, joy & outrageous moments that we expect during MG Festival events & parties. How does MG survive, because we still have homophobes in our society, we still have prejudice and even if we are economically capable of buying tickets to parties, we have an obligation to the next generation to keep the organisation afloat, it’s a rallying point (for people not living in the inner city).

I have been part of the evolution of Mardi Gras & have a love/hate relationship with it, like a lot of my friends. But I know that it supports smaller community organisations that rely on the financial support that MG gives them. I also know that many of my friends have the priviledge situation of working with in volunteer positions for many years, and they are the unsung workers you will probably never know about. It’s also an insitution that somehow manages, once a year to bring thousands of queers into Sydney to celebrate their lives in the Xmess parade that continues to exist. (not in Uganda, Not in Russia).

This year was different, especially post World Pride, perhaps the Bondi Beach event should have been cancelled……but so many people really enjoyed it… It was a definite shame Fair Day got cancelled, but it will happen again next year, and perhaps a strategy to hold a mid year event could be put together…..(suggestion).
We have gained the right to have marriage equality through persistent campaigns & protests….MG may not look like the Radical protest parades of the past but it’s still an avenue for PROTEST!!! Don’t forget we lost thousands of creative individuals during the Aids epidemic and we still have many amazing HIV+ve individuals in our community. Remember them.

Be a positive change, not constantly complaining & whinging. Of course, I am not complaining as I had the great opportunity to exhibit my photographic work in the National Art School during the Festival…..my contribution to the Festival events. (with the support of NAS). And Paul Sauvage & Anne Maree C. also put together an exhibition of community photographers with support from the Black Dog Insitute, which highlighted their efforts to have those difficult discussions around depression & mental illness.
But if you only wanted to party, show off your body get fucked then there are plenty of opportunities for that too…
This year the lesbians had a great time at the ULTRAVIOLET party, produced in association with MG & even though it had to end at 11pm, it was fantastic. Times have changed & so have venues.,
Try to imagine what it would be like without Mardi Gras……or that you are in Uganda….
Thanks Mardi Gras for what you do, and I’ll look forward to what you bring to us next year.
C.Moore Hardy xx

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 23:47:36 +0000

It’s really simple to understand to me…. ticket prices remained outrageously expensive at same levels with World Pride (which tourists said were crazy expensive at that time) but the talent offering this year was less so not the same bang for your buck. We are in a cost of living crisis with high inflation in past 2 years so MG should have factored in that in their planning and forecasting. Festivals are cancelling. Affordability is a big thing so MG needs to scale their festival according to the times and be mindful of economic conditions present that impact demand. Where was there financial management and flexibility? Of course we are still paying off and coming down from World Pride too last year which was fun and a big effort so we naturally feel a bit deflated to party at the same levels this year emotionally.

By: Matt Whitmore

Matt Whitmore — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 23:13:11 +0000

It’s such a shame, but it is fixable. There was a similar crisis back in around 2006 and I volunteered for the party committee at the time after being disappointed and disillusioned by a lot of the decisions I saw being made by Mardi Gras regarding the upcoming festival. To their credit, they welcomed me aboard and took up a lot of the (radical at the time) suggestions I made, which proved successful in terms of selling tickets and changing up a few traditions that I thought had become stale and boring. We also actively advertised in a targeted manner towards sections of the heterosexual community and made some smart decisions around ticket pricing and sales strategy. It seems that there is a lack of vision and creativity creeping into Mardi Gras again. The ticket prices this year were over the top and didn’t represent value for money for such a small party in terms of footprint. This one offered the fewest bangs for the most bucks, and that will never work. I plan to volunteer again for the 2025 festival and see if I can help in any way. Finally, I think the awful business with the murders of the gay couple by the police officer, along with the complete mess that Mardi Gras made of the business with the police Mardi Gras float, the prospect of protesters disrupting the parade over the war in Gaza, and the possibility of related terrorist activity all had an impact on attendance. However, I believe the main problems are the ones mentioned above first.

By: Tony Mouhrabi

Tony Mouhrabi — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 22:56:31 +0000

As someone who absolutely loves the nightlife and enjoys meeting up with friends, I am saddened by the slow downward evolution of the gay scene in Sydney. It’s not our community’s fault. Lockdown laws, noise control, and massive renovation works on Oxford Street, along with timed parking restrictions in the area, have taken their toll on us over the years, leaving us exhausted. With the gradual erosion of a central gathering place, we simply don’t go out like we used to.

The biggest irony lies in the fact that during Mardi Gras, pop-up bars are everywhere, music fills the air, and restrictions are temporarily eased. It’s a vibrant show for visitors, but it feels like a slap in the face for our community. We know all too well that this festive atmosphere will vanish within days, leaving us back in the realm of dreary and limited fun. As we wait for another Mardi Gras in silence, our interest in going out and reveling in joy diminishes altogether

By: Carlos Baez

Carlos Baez — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 02:28:12 +0000

I didn’t attend the main party after years of poorly run events and a sudden price hike – it went into not worth it territory!

By: Rodney McShanag

Rodney McShanag — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 08:45:31 +0000

I’m a volunteer and was at the parade yes numbers were down from last year ( world pride/mardi gras) but everyone seemed to have a great time .

If the queer community want these events to continue we need to support

By: Stephen

Stephen — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 08:30:49 +0000

“Star Observer reached out for comment, but Mardi Gras did not respond to requests for comment at time of publishing”

I think that line at the bottom of this article says it all. The utter arrogance of “our” community organisation failing (or likely refusing) to respond to a question from “our” community newspaper.

Everything is broken

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 08:22:13 +0000

The problem is headline acts where meh, ticket prices too expensive and tbh transport, cost of living + other issues are causing a perfect storm. Mardi gras board need to work with the NSW government and city of Sydney to work on a more inclusive events. A lot of events where held where wheelchair accessibility is near impossible and expensive. Fair day is and was the only fee free event where everyone can come and not spend an exorbitant amount

By: Glycogen Review

Glycogen Review — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 08:14:23 +0000

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