Mardi Gras 2013 revealed

Staff Writers
November 29, 2012

A stellar line-up of international and Australian stars will be headed to Sydney to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Sydney Mardi Gras. Check out Star Observer’s sneak peek at the talent taking part in the festival and parties below.

The parties

Sydney’s Harbour Party 2013 will get party-goers pumping, with Grammy-winner and superstar house music DJ David Morales who’s remixes for artists including Annie Lennox, Janet Jackson, Pet Shop Boys, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. Warming up the crowd for Morales is Moto Blanco, who will be bringing their British electro style down under.

Performers at the world-famous Mardigrasland party include British legend Heather Small, known for fronting ’90s house music act, M People. Hitting Mardi Gras for the first time ever, Small will perform some of her biggest hits at the RHI stage.

Aussie electro dance act and multiple ARIA award-winners The Presets will treat party-goers to one of their epic, high energy, multimedia sets.

ARIA Artist of the Decade, TV coach and multi award-winning singer/songwriter Delta Goodrem will also be live on stage to debut her Mardi Gras megamix performance.

Jake Shears, of Scissor Sisters fame, will DJ in the guise of his new side project, Crystal Pepsi; and there is the welcome return of international gay DJ superstar Wayne G, plus UK dance music act Bimbo Jones – both acts will be spinning their new tracks, which punters will hear for the first time at the party.

Aussie electro pop duo Garçon Garçon and DJ duo Stereogamous also join the line-up. Stereogamous will be also featuring Hercules & Love Affair front man Shaun J. Wright.

LA Electro pop duo Hi Fashion will be tearing up The Dome.

Mardi Gras Party will also host the return of the internationally renowned drag performer Mitzi Macintosh, hitting Sydney for the first time since 2010.

Ending the weekend will be Sydney’s Laneway Party, and this year the event plays host to the newest X-Factor winner, Samantha Jade.

Laneway will also feature a raft of stars who have appeared throughout the festival and party, as well as a few amazing surprises.

The festival

The Sydney Mardi Gras Festival ’13 features three weeks of comedy, music, cabaret, visual arts, theatre, film and sports.

One of the biggest names in the festival line-up is undoubtedly Megan Mullally. The Emmy-winning star of Will & Grace will combine her legendary wit and musicality for An Evening with Megan Mullally.

Big names like Tina Arena, Anthony Callea and Beccy Cole will head up the live music talent throughout the festival, while New York-based performer Mx Justin Vivian Bond will hit Carriageworks for one night only as part of Mardi Gras’ cabaret offering.

For those looking for something a bit outside the box, prepare for the ultimate Golden Girls experience as Miami’s famous four – Dorothy, Sophia, Rose and Blanche – reunite in puppet-form for Thank You for Being a Friend. It’s a bawdy, Avenue Q-style live show which will run for a limited season at the Comedy Store.

The theme

Next year’s 35th anniversary of Sydney Mardi Gras will be celebrated under the banner of Generations of Love. In coming up with this concept, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) wanted festival participants to use the occasion to think about the generations that came before us, what sacrifices our community has made to allow us to live and love more freely, and to think about the possibilities that the generations to come. The accompanying creative content was developed by visual artist Lewis Oswald.

“The creative draws heavily on the strength, support and inspiration that our future, past and present communities draw from connecting, identifying and celebrating each other,” Oswald said.

“I have deliberately referenced the AIDS quilt as a rich patchwork of our shared Mardi Gras treasures.”