City of Sydney Boosts Mardi Gras World Pride Bid by $50,000

Sydney Mardi Gras’ bid to host World Pride 2023 received a financial boost of $50,000 today with the announcement of a contribution from the City of Sydney Council.

The Cash contribution of $50,000 is to cover the costs of travel and accommodation for Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras staff, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contributors as well as Australian and European based performers involved in delivering the final stage of the bid process in Athens in October.

If the organisation is successful in its attempt to win the bid, it will be the first time the event has been held in the Asia Pacific region and would coincide with the 45th anniversary of the first Mardi Gras Parade.

The funding from the City of Sydney follows a similar contribution of $192,000 by the NSW State Government earlier this year.

Speaking about the cash injection, City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said World Pride would provide opportunities to celebrate, strengthen and empower diverse communities to participate in a global celebration of pride.

“The City of Sydney is proud to support the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras with $50,000 toward its bid to host the globally significant WorldPride event in 2023,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

“Becoming a host city of WorldPride would bring enormous social and economic benefits to Sydney, with previous host cities like Madrid experiencing up to a 100 per cent increase in visitation during the event compared to previous years.

“More importantly though, hosting WorldPride would send a strong message around the globe that Sydney is a welcoming and inclusive destination for LGBTIQ communities.”

Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras will present its bid for the biennial event to members of InterPride at the AGM in Athens in October 2019.

The inaugural WorldPride was held in Rome in 2000.

Cities which have hosted WorldPride since 2000 include Jerusalem, London, Toronto, Madrid and New York in 2019.

Last Updated on Sep 10, 2019