Sydney Mardi Gras Party Cancelled

The 2022 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Party will not go ahead, due to a public health order issued by the New South Wales government.

It comes on a day when New South Wales recorded over 30,000 cases of COVID-19.

‘Singing and Dancing is Not Permitted’

According to the health order, “Singing and dancing is not permitted at a hospitality venue, entertainment facility, nightclub, major recreation facility or music festival.”

Exceptions to this rule only apply to performers who are “performing” or “rehearsing,” a person who is “instructing” or “being instructed, in singing or dancing,” and a “wedding service” or a “gathering immediately following a wedding.”

One of the four main ways to obtain an exemption would be to “ensure there is no dancefloor at the event” or that “any existing dancefloor is not used.”

‘Health and Safety of Our Community will Always Remain Our Top Priority’

Yesterday, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG) sent out the announcement stating that it was cancelling Party for the 2022 LGBTQI celebration.

It wrote it was doing so with “very heavy hearts,” and Party is not “operable under the state’s Public Health Order.”

It also acknowledged that the SGLMG team has “worked tirelessly with NSW Health, the State Government and venues at all stages of planning for our entire Festival.”

It added, “This phase of the pandemic remains volatile, and the health and safety of our community will always remain our top priority.”

Party would be a mainly indoor event with dancing. The SGLMG also estimated that over 10,000 people would attend the event, making it “high risk for COVID transmission.”

Although Party was meant to be held on March 5, SGLMG wrote, “due to Party’s large scale, sadly we have had to make the very tough call now.”

It said it is doing this “not only for the sustainability of the event in future years but also for the organisation” and “so that artists and partygoers can make alternate plans.”

‘Hopefully we can Dance Again Next Year for World Pride’

One person on Twitter wrote, “So sad to hear the news that the Mardi Gras party has been cancelled. My heart goes out to everyone who worked on this project for months and months. Such a shame to hear and hopefully we can dance again next year for World Pride.”

So sad to hear the news that the Mardi Gras party has been cancelled. 😭😭 My heart goes out to everyone who worked on this project for months and months. Such a shame to hear and hopefully we can dance again next year for World Pride. 💔💔🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈 https://t.co/IJPwRVMdex

— DJ Dan Murphy (@DJDanMurphy) January 20, 2022

Another person tweeted, “Have the Mardi Gras event organisers considered calling it a Hilsong party?”

Have the Mardi Gras event organisers considered calling it a Hilsong party?

— ShamusJon (@ShamusJon) January 20, 2022

Entertainment writer Nick Bond tweeted, “Mardi Gras party cancelled… there goes my hot girl summer (sitting out in the gutter next to the Dagwood Dog truck while an international pop star performs inside the Hordern).”

Mardi Gras party cancelled… there goes my hot girl summer (sitting out in the gutter next to the Dagwood Dog truck while an international pop star performs inside the Hordern)

— Nick Bond (@bondnickbond) January 20, 2022

Party ticket holders will have their purchases automatically refunded via Ticketek.

SGLMG expects customers will have their funds “returned” in their “accounts within [seven to 10] business days.”

Fair Day and the Parade will continue as planned with SGLMG saying, “We have approved COVID-Safe plans and procedures in place to ensure other key events, including community favourites Fair Day and Parade, can still go ahead as planned.”

When getting your ticket refund, you can also donate a portion of your ticket value to Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras to offset the losses related to Party’s cancellation.