The world’s largest pride event WorldPride 2023 is heading for Sydney – and Northern Beaches Council are ensuring the local area is a big part of it.
Next year, Sydney will become the first city in the Southern Hemisphere to host WorldPride, which will run from 17 February to 5 March.
“WorldPride is global event licensed by InterPride, which is awarded to a different host city every 2-3 years. The first WorldPride took place in Rome in July 2000, followed by Jerusalem (2006), London (2012), Toronto (2014), Madrid (2017), New York (2019) and Copenhagen + Malmo (2021).
“In 2019, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras was successful in winning the bid to host WorldPride in Sydney in 2023, having competed against Houston, USA and Montreal, Canada.”
Sydney WorldPride will incorporate all the beloved Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras experiences like the Parade, Party, Fair Day and Sissy Ball, but supersized into 200+ event festival.
Although the traditional Pride month in the northern hemisphere is June, Sydney WorldPride 2023 will be staged Friday 17 February – Sunday 5 March 2023 which is the traditional timing of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and of course, in the heart of the Australian summer!
To support the event, Northern Beaches Council will create a $20,000 grant program to support local businesses and organisations to get involved in WorldPride, fly rainbow flags and banners across the Peninsula, unveil a temporary art installation in Manly and host a number of events and exhibitions in our libraries.
“We want the Northern Beaches to be a place where all people in the LGBTQIA+ community feel respected and supported, and where diversity is celebrated,” says NB Council.
They are working closely with the newly established Fusion Pride Northern Beaches, local surf lifesaving clubs involved in the Rainbow Beaches program, the State Government, public transport operators and our local chambers of commerce to plan our activities for WorldPride 2023.
What a year to be involved with this great initiative with the 2023 event celebrating 45 years of Mardi Gras, 50 years of Australian Pride and five years of marriage equality in Australia.
Join us in celebrating WorldPride 2023, with movie screenings, murals, a Fusion Pride Picnic, kids’ activities and more. See the Northern Beaches Council event calendar for details: https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/whats-on/event-calendar
For more information on Sydney World Pride visti: https://sydneyworldpride.com/what-is-worldpride/
Main image credit: https://www.facebook.com/sydneyworldpride
