Daily London
Chief executive Jesse Matheson said the “difficult decision” was part of his mission to renew and reimagine the renowned LGBTQI+ celebration.
He said the festival had suffered “two years of significant financial loss” and the post-parade party – a $2 million “festival within a festival” – was a major contributor, having run at a loss every year since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This decision was not taken lightly,” he said in a statement posted on the organisation’s website this afternoon.
“Facing an existential threat to the future of Mardi Gras, and with new sponsorship uncertain, it was absolutely the right decision.”
Matheson said all festival events had been cancelled except the parade, Fair Day, Laneway and the Glitter Club, but hailed community producers and cultural institutions for stepping in to bring back several others.
“The Mardi Gras Party, however, was always going to be the biggest challenge,” Matheson said.
“For those unfamiliar with its scale, the Mardi Gras Party is an approximately $2 million event – effectively a festival within a festival.
“At times, it has cost more to deliver than the Parade and Fair Day, while also being our most expensive ticketed event for the community. It has always been a significant undertaking.”
He pointed to capacity constraints after losing access to the Royal Hall of Industries, the party’s financial performance, community feedback and changing demographics to justify the decision to “pause” the event for the year.
“As CEO, I could not continue to sell expensive tickets to an event I did not believe offered value for our community, honoured the Mardi Gras PARTY’s legacy, or protected the organisation’s financial future,” he said.
The parade, which attracts tens of thousands of people from across Australia to watch more than 10,000 participants and more than 200 floats, and other key parts of the festival will go ahead.
The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival runs from February 13 to March 1.
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