Mardi Gras 2025
ConversAsians – Are You Mardi Gras Ready?
If you are Asian Gay, Bi+ Queer Men’s then this invitation is for you!
This session is all about Mardi Gras – a time of celebration, pride, and belonging.
Whether you’re gearing up for your first Mardi Gras or a seasoned veteran of the festivities, join us to discuss your experiences, explore how to express your price and identity and make new friends.
WHEN: Tuesday 18 February 2025, 6-8pm.
WHERE: ACON, 414 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills.
QUEER SCREEN MARDI GRAS FILM FESTIVAL | Screenings 13-27 February 2025
ACON is proud to partner with Queer Screen’s 32nd Mardi Gras Film Festival. The festival is all about celebrating love—love for stories, love for community, and love for LGBTQIA+ cinema. With over 140 films spanning romance, passion, and everything in between, it’s the perfect reason to grab your date, your mates, or fly solo and experience love.
We are delighted to co-present a series of sessions at this year’s festival:
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THE LAST TABOO – presented in partnership with Pride in Sport
Manfred Oldenburg’s bold documentary fearlessly dives into one of the strongholds of homophobia in sports, men’s professional soccer. Saturday 15 February – BOOK TICKETS HERE
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SALLY! – presented in partnership with the LOVE Project
An Australian premiere, Sally! is a vibrant documentary that resurrects the legacy of a firebrand radical lesbian feminist who ignited movements for LGBTIQ+ equality and women’s rights in the 1970s and ‘80s. Saturday 15 February – BOOK HERE.
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LESVIA – presented in partnership with Word on the Sheets
Sun-drenched beaches and radical freedom – welcome to Eressos! A village on the Greek island of Lesbos, the birthplace of Sappho, transformed into a global lesbian haven. Tuesday 18 February – BOOK HERE.
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SAME, AGAIN – presented in partnership with Say it Out Loud
A world premiere. With suspenseful storytelling and sensitive direction, this drama explores the ways we hurt and heal each other and the power of reclaiming agency. A thought-provoking film offering an unflinching look at the invisible chains that bind us and the courage it takes to break free.
Tuesday 25 February – BOOK HERE.
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THE PARADISE OF THORNS – presented in partnership with SocialAsians
Grief, betrayal and a ruthless fight for love and survival collide in the cinematic epic The Paradise of Thorns, starring Thai superstar Jeff Satur.
Monday 24 February – BOOK HERE
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To Live, To Die, To Live Again – presented in partnership with ACON
An unorthodox love triangle unfolds under the shadow of the AIDS epidemic, in this moving French melodrama about the power of found family. Sunday 23rd February – BOOK HERE
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DESIRE LINES – Presented in partnership with TransHub
Experience this loving tribute to transmasculine sexual visibility in Jules Rosskam’s groundbreaking hybrid documentary.
Sunday 23 February – BOOK HERE
For the full Mardi Gras Film Festival program, visit the Queer Screen website here.
MARKS PARK SUNRISE | Saturday 22 February 2025
Marks Park Sunrise
6:15am – 7am, Saturday 22 February 2025
Meet at the Rise Memorial, Marks Park, Tamarama
For more information visit bondimemorial.com.au.
ULTRA VIOLET | Saturday 22 February 2025
Ultra Violet is Mardi Gras’ big event especially designed by and for LGBTQ+ women. This year it’s happening at the National Art School from 3pm through to midnight.
Spread across four stages, the day-to-night party will feature international, interstate and local DJs, bands and performers.
ACON’s Women Health Project will be there – visit our table for resources on LGBTQ+ women’s health and cancer prevention information.
Ultra Violet, Saturday 22 February at the National Art School, Darlinghurst. For more information and booking details, visit the Mardi Gras website here.
MARDI GRAS PARADE | Saturday 1 March 2025
The 47th annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade is set to take over Oxford Street, Flinders Street and Anzac Parade on Saturday 1 March 2025. Set your true self free as the Mardi Gras magic makes its way down the heritage-listed Parade route for one of the largest LGBTQIA+ nighttime parades in the world.
Over 200 floats from every corner of our communities will strut, stroll and roll from Hyde Park to Moore Park on Sydney’s night-of-nights. As is tradition, our fearless protectors the Dykes on Bikes, LGBTQIA+SB First Nations communities and our beloved 78ers will lead over 11,000 marchers under the 2025 Festival theme: FREE TO BE.
The First Nations Float, produced by ACON’s Aboriginal Project, will once again lead the Parade, while ACON’s float in the Mardi Gras Parade will showcase our latest campaign.
Mardi Gras Parade, Saturday 1 March 7.30pm, Oxford and Flinders Sts, Darlinghurst and Moore Park.
Plan your Parade experience with all the info on the Mardi Gras website.
MARDI GRAS PARTY | Saturday 1 March 2025
The 2025 MARDI GRAS PARTY
Saturday 1 March
10pm-late
Playbill Venues and Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park.
As Mardi Gras revellers dance the night away, ACON will be there to ensure party-goers keep well and stay safe. We’ll be on hand with information and resources at the ACON Info Desk, handily located in the entrance forecourt. ACON’s ‘SEXPERTS’ will be handing out safe sex packs throughout the night, and ACON Rovers will be patrolling the party to provide information, support and assistance.
Regular Events
2025 Pride in Health + Wellbeing Awards
This year we are proud to offer the online interactive Awards Ceremony completely FREE!
This important event recognises the achievements in LGBTQ+ inclusion across the health, wellbeing, human services, and community care sector across Australia, measured through the Health + Wellbeing Equality Index (HWEI).
Awards will be given to the Gold Service Providers, Most Improved Service Provider, and Service Provider of the Year. We will also announce our exciting individual awards: LGBTQ+ Ally of the Year, LGBTQ+ Role-Model Award, LGBTQ+ Inclusive Innovation Award and the new Executive Leadership Award!
Celebrate, learn, and be inspired by best practice, innovation, and person-centred care with us at the 2025 Pride in Health + Wellbeing Awards!
WHEN: 3-4pm Thursday, 27 March 2025
WHERE: Online
Bingay | ACON Fundraiser
ABOUT BINGAY
Bingay is gay bingo which means there’s classic disco tunes, weird rules and penalties, outrageous antics, hilarious repartee, deliciously lewd bingo calls, and prizes that range from the silly and camp to great theatre tickets and restaurant vouchers.
Bingay hostess Charisma Belle oversees the madcap proceedings and Bingay’s long time barrel babe Naomi Palmer spins the balls and sings up a storm.
Bingay takes over the upstairs bar of The Beresford Darlinghurst on the second Thursday of every month, with each monthly event having a fabulously flamboyant theme.
Bingay’s balls first dropped in 1999, making it one of Sydney’s longest running LGBTQ community events + it raises money for our HIV and LGBTQ health services.
So whether you’re a regular or a novice, or a local or visitor to Sydney, if you’re up for a wonderfully camp mid-week entertainment experience, then you can’t go wrong with Bingay.
For more information and bookings, visit the Bingay website here
Nothing But LOVE
ACON’s LOVE Project invites you to join us for Nothing but LOVE, our online webinar series. Each episode we will chat with LGBTQ community heroes, activists, icons, performers, creatives, business owner and much more.
Our next guest is Ian Roberts. Ian is an actor, advocate and professional sporting identity. He played Rugby League professionally from 1985-1998, including in the NSW State of Origin squad and the Australian Team.
In 1994 – at the height of his sporting career – Ian publicly came out as a gay man. He was the second man internationally in a professional team sport to do so. He has since become a strong advocate for LGBTIQA+ rights, particularly in sports and the area of mental health.
Having publicly campaigned for a Sydney LGBTIQA+ Museum since 2016, Ian is a founding member and Director of Qtopia Sydney. He is an ambassador for various sports initiatives including Proud2Play and is a patron of Pride in Sports.
Ian is an experienced wellbeing educator who developed and delivered diversity programs for the NRL and other organisations. He has studied acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts and acted on film and television at a national and international level.
Date: Wednesday 29 January
Time: 6.30pm to 7.15pm
Proudly presented by ACON’s LOVE Project and supported by the NSW Government. Hosted by Russ Gluyas.
