Full disclosure: I was born and bred in Sydney, Australia, and I have always been proud to come from the Land Down Under — specifically, its queerest and sexiest city: Sydney.
The harborside capital of New South Wales is blessed with natural beauty, from the Blue Mountains (where I was born) to Bondi Beach (where I came out), and enjoys a subtropical climate that makes locals so relaxed it’s possible to strike up a friendship in a matter of seconds. I never tire of going home and exploring the beaches, savoring fresh local seafood, or just parking myself at a local cafe, ordering a flat white coffee, and saying g’day to the undoubtedly cute barista. Now for the first time, WorldPride heads to my hometown.
Sydney WorldPride 2023 is touted by organizers as the largest global Pride celebration, with a program from February 17 to March 5, 2023, featuring over 300 events and an expected attendance of more than 500,000 revelers from around the world.
As part of the event schedule, Sydney WorldPride is incorporating Australia’s most famous Pride festival, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras — in its own right, a world-beating queer event.
The first gay Mardi Gras started in Sydney in 1978 when a group of gay and lesbians formed the Gay Solidarity Group and held events promoting queer culture and discouraging discrimination. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has grown year upon year, with WorldPride 2023 marking the 45th anniversary of the first Mardi Gras Parade, its first foray since 2019, and the fifth anniversary of Australian marriage equality.
Related: Here’s everything you need to know about Sydney WorldPrde from a local expert
6 can’t-miss events at Sydney WorldPride
With such an extensive program, there is something for everyone. Highlights include:
Pride Villages (February 24 – March 5)
Sections of Sydney’s historic inner city will be closed to traffic and become pedestrian thoroughfares with stalls, outdoor dining, live performances, and a giant street party on the final weekend of Sydney WorldPride.
Blak & Deadly: The First Nation’s Gala Concert (March 2)
The world-famous Sydney Opera House with its iconic sails was built on sacred land and known to its original custodians as Tubowgule, where Aboriginals gathered to feast, sing, dance, and tell stories. For Sydney WorldPride, a rainbow of Aboriginal and Torres Strait LGBTQ+ talent will present the contemporary equivalent.
Bondi Beach Party (March 4)
Bondi Beach, home of the world’s first surfing contest — and arguably, the hottest lifeguards — will become a beach club for 12,000 attendees in just one day.
Switched On: The Teaches of Peaches (March 4)
Fearless feminist electroclash artist Peaches performs her most celebrated album in its entirety, celebrating its 20th anniversary and as many years as a champion of LGBTQ+ rights and gender identity.
Ultra Violet (March 3 – March 4)
Inside the ornate 19th-century Sydney Town Hall with its soaring interiors, queer women will enjoy burlesque, cabaret, drag kings, and the latest house, electro-pop, ballroom, rap/hip-hop, and disco delivered by dyke DJs.
Pride March (March 5)
Cap off Sydney WorldPride by joining 50,000 LGBTQ+ and allies in a Pride march across the Sydney Harbor Bridge that will really put you on top of the world.
Life’s too short not to drink queer Aussie wine
Partying in Australia invariably means enjoying local wine, and life is too short not to drink great queer wine. Lisa McGuigan is a fourth-generation winemaker and member of the LGBTQ+ community. She launched the independent label Lisa McGuigan Wines in 2011 and now produces, among others, a modern and crisp chardonnay and the country’s most-recognized varietal shiraz.
McGuigan’s wines are available at most Sydney bottle-o’s (liquor stores), or take a day trip to Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley (a three-hour drive from Sydney) and visit her cellar door, Vamp, with private tasting rooms and oyster bar.
A taste of Sydney: Where to eat
When it comes to food, you can’t go wrong in Sydney, according to Mario Paez and Barry Warner, co-founders of gay-owned and -operated travel agency Planetdwellers, established in 2007.
“Sydney truly is a stunning city that offers so much, with its fresh and innovative cuisine and, of course, excellent coffee and sexy baristas who remember your name and coffee order,” says Paez. “Sydney is abuzz with fantastic new restaurant openings that seem to be happening weekly. The locals are a colorful and friendly bunch and are always there to make sure you are loving your time and sharing their little hidden treasure spots.”
When I go back home, the first thing I seek out is sweet and creamy Sydney rock oysters from the Sydney Fish Market. Served with a spritz of lemon and some local prawns (earthier and meatier than shrimp), it’s the ultimate Down Under indulgence. Local restaurants have long embraced the locavore trend, whether that’s the woodfire wizardry of Firedoor or the purely plant-based Eden Bondi.
Best day trips from Sydney
Set on the world’s largest and deepest natural harbor, Sydney is surrounded by beauty in all directions. Planetdwellers has expanded its day tours to take adventure-seeking queer travelers beyond the city limits.
“Of course, there may be some dancing on our buses as well,” laughs Paez. Head south to the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains with their majestic sandstone escarpments and eucalyptus forests, and west to discover charming towns like Bowral and Terrigal. And wine country to the north can be a destination in itself.
When it comes to extending your Australian adventure for a few days before or after Sydney WorldPride, Paez and Warner recommend the Outback and “walking in the glorious high heel footsteps of Priscilla Queen of the Desert in Alice Springs at the fabALICE Festival, then heading over to the stunning Uluru, a massive sandstone monolith in the center of Australia.
Traveling to Sydney for WorldPride? Getting there is half the fun
Sydney is the hometown of Hugh Jackman and Baz Lurhmann, and like those two great entertainers, Sydney knows how to put on a show. More than just a fantastic queer destination, Sydney is packed with natural beauty, culture, and interesting locals — think of it as New York or San Francisco Down Under, with a subtropical climate and California-worthy beaches.
For Americans, the flight is long but made more comfortable by official Sydney WorldPride airline Qantas offering a special WorldPride flight from LAX to Sydney where customers will enjoy live inflight entertainment, including comedy, drag, a special menu, a souvenir limited-edition pair of ‘Rainbow Roo’ pajamas, and a ticket to the Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert, featuring pop icon Kylie Minogue.
Air New Zealand will also make the skies extra-friendly with a dedicated flight from San Francisco to Sydney on February 20, featuring a packed program of entertainment to help fill the 12-hour flight. As a frequent flyer to this part of the world, I advise eating light before the trip, staying hydrated, sanitizing and moisturizing, and taking full advantage of your inflight entertainment offerings.
