At a time when the rights, safety and visibility of trans and gender-diverse communities are under increasing attack - through misinformation, legislative rollbacks, exclusion from public life and disproportionate levels of violence - Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras turns up the heat this February with Hot Trans Mardi Gras, placing trans and gender-diverse artists, performers and communities at the centre of the 2026 Festival.
Across a powerful suite of signature and community-led events, created by and for trans and gender-diverse communities - including the return of the fan-favourite Sissy Ball and the debut of the uncompromising new event Black Cherry - Hot Trans Mardi Gras is a celebration, a platform and a statement. It asserts what has always been true of Mardi Gras itself: VISIBILITY IS POLITICAL. COMMUNITY IS PROTECTIVE. CELEBRATION IS AN ACT OF DEFIANCE. TRANS JOY IS
RESISTANCE.
Announced at the launch of the 2026 Mardi Gras program in October 2025 and formally launched today, Hot Trans Mardi Gras provides free access for events created by and for trans and gender-diverse communities to enter the Mardi Gras festival program. Hot Trans Mardi Gras centres trans leadership, culture and creativity across ballroom, performance, markets, cabaret and community spaces - affirming, unequivocally, that trans people belong everywhere. Trans people belong at Mardi Gras.
Jesse Matheson, Chief Executive Officer of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, said: “Hot Trans Mardi Gras is a bold and necessary program that centres trans and gender-diverse people at a moment when their lives, rights and identities are being openly questioned in public debate and policy. This program is about more than performance - it’s about power, safety, visibility and pride. From the return of Sissy Ball to the debut of Black Cherry, alongside events including Queens of Colour, Summer Spandex, Drag For Good and the Sock Drawer Heroes & Friends Laneway Market, Hot Trans Mardi Gras reflects the depth, diversity and resilience of trans communities, and our unwavering commitment to standing with them - loudly, publicly and without compromise."
The full Hot Trans Mardi Gras program can be accessed on the Mardi Gras App.
SISSY BALL
| 27 Feb | Marrickville Town Hall, Marrickville
The Southern Hemisphere’s biggest vogue ball returns this February. Led by Ballroom Australia in collaboration with Inner West Council, Sissy Ball brings sweat, spectacle and high-stakes ballroom energy as trans and gender-diverse performers take the floor to serve excellence across the many categories.
Tens are on the table. Reads are flying. The floor will decide who rises and who gets chopped.
“The Sissy Ball is a celebration of self-expression, performance and community,” Clr Jess D’Arienzo said. “Hosting it in the Inner West makes it more accessible to local queer communities and opens the door to involving young people and emerging creatives in a safe, inclusive and joyful way. This partnership builds on our ongoing support of our local queer community, including our popular Trans Swim Nights we have been running since 2022.
We are thrilled to be partnering with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 2026 to bring the Sissy Ball to our wonderful Marrickville Town Hall venue."
BLACK CHERRY | 14
Feb | National Art School, Darlinghurst
Black Cherry makes its Mardi Gras debut as a trans-diverse night rooted in redemption, transformation and rebirth. Produced by Mother Kianna Louboutin Oricci, the event draws on milestones trans people were denied, creating space to reclaim what was missed and live fully in the present.
Kianna Oricci said: “Black Cherry will be such a unique experience. It is a journey of healing through music, performance art, and community whilst feeling sexy. Having such amazing BIPOC artists in the line-up is a blessing, and I can’t wait for everyone to experience Black Cherry.”
Taking over the National Art School courtyard and the historic Cell Block Theatre, Black Cherry unfolds as an immersive experience, with performances by Ballroom Australia, Basjia, Fetu Taku and Lay Juicy-Couture alongside DJ sets from Neesha Alexander (QLD), Stevzar (VIC) and Soju Gang (VIC), championing BIPOC trans talent across sound, movement and embodied expression.
WHAT ELSE IS COOKING AT HOT TRANS MARDI GRAS?
Beyond the signature events, Hot Trans Mardi Gras continues with a broader community-produced program spanning performance, markets, cabaret, drag, food and conversation, taking place across Greater Sydney.
QUEENS OF COLOUR (Q.O.C.) | 13 Feb – 1 Mar | Grove Bar, Potts Point
Queens of Colour returns for Mardi Gras with a tightly curated performance series centring culture, identity and lived experience. Each night spotlights performers whose work reflects both heritage and personal expression, with First Nations voices placed at the heart of the program. All proceeds go towards charities supporting displaced LGBTQIA+ communities.
SOCK DRAWER HEROES & FRIENDS LANEWAY MARKET | 21 Feb | Petersham Street Plaza & Quinn Street Playground,
Petersham
A free, all-ages, alcohol-free laneway market created by and for trans and gender-diverse communities. The market prioritises trans and gender-diverse stallholders and offers a relaxed, accessible space for families, neurodiverse audiences and anyone seeking a softer way to connect, browse and celebrate.
SUMMER SPANDEX | 14
Mar | FunHaus Factory, Gosford Arts Centre
Summer Spandex takes Hot Trans Mardi Gras to the Central Coast, delivering one high-energy night of burlesque, drag, live music, dance, circus and storytelling. Expect Festival favourites, playful chaos and a whole lot of sparkle.
DRAG FOR GOOD
| 27 Feb | Song Kitchen, Sydney
Hosted by Sydney drag icon Dakota Fann’ee, Drag For Good blends drag, trivia and food-fuelled fun into a fundraiser supporting YWCA Australia, assisting women, girls and gender-diverse people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. Tickets include canapés and a drink on
arrival.
HOW MARDI GRAS ADVOCATES FOR TRANS COMMUNITIES
Sydney Mardi Gras is an active, year-round advocate for trans and gender-diverse communities - not only during Festival season, but every day. Mardi Gras work closely with LGBTQIA+ organisations in Sydney, across Australia and internationally to understand the evolving challenges facing our communities, align advocacy priorities, and use the Mardi Gras platform to amplify collective impact and drive change.
Mardi Gras regularly supports and participates in public advocacy campaigns that advance the rights, safety and dignity of trans and gender-diverse people. Most recently, Mardi Gras have joined Equality Australia’s campaign calling for stronger protections for LGBTQIA+ people against hate speech, and the Inner City Legal Centre’s open letter urging the NSW Premier and Attorney General to invest in a dedicated LGBTQIA+ legal centre. Mardi Gras also consistently advocate on
issues affecting trans communities through our ongoing engagement with government, funding bodies and corporate partners - ensuring that trans voices are heard in the spaces where decisions are made.
Within the 2026 Festival season, Mardi Gras have taken concrete action to remove structural and financial barriers to participation and visibility. Events created by and for trans and gender-diverse communities - alongside those created by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations communities - are included in the Mardi Gras+ program at no cost.
Mardi Gras have also prioritised the visibility of trans communities at the heart of the Festival by actively spotlighting and providing funding support for trans-led floats in the iconic Parade. This investment recognises the Parade as a powerful site of cultural and political expression, and ensures that trans communities are resourced to be seen, celebrated and centred - not marginalised - on the world stage.
EVENT DETAILS
Festival dates: 13 February – 1 March 2026
Festival theme: ECSTATICA
App: Free to download via App Store and Google Play
More info: www.mardigras.org.au