Anthony Albanese is set to become the first prime minister to march at Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on Saturday night.
The annual parade is expected to welcome up to 300,000 people this year after three years of Covid-affected events, with the march to begin at 7.30pm.
The parade had been held at the Sydney Cricket Ground the past two years.
Anthony Albanese will be joined by NSW Opposition Leader Chris Minns and other senior Labor figures for the march up Oxford street, while NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet will not attend due to a ‘pre-existing commitment’.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton will also not be in attendance.
This year’s theme is Gather, Dream, Amplify with 208 floats taking part in the parade, led by First Nations, 78ers and Dykes on Bikes.
This year’s parade has extra significance as the centrepiece of the Sydney WorldPride festival, the first WorldPride held in the southern hemisphere.
An estimated 12,500 people will parade the streets – with changes to transport timetables and multiple road closures to accommodate the parade, this is everything you need to know.
Anthony Albanese is set to become the first prime minister to march at Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras on Saturday night (pictured, marching during the 2022 event held at the Sydney Cricket Ground)
Sydney is set to welcome up to 300,000 people to watch the parade, with the march to begin at 7.30pm
When does it begin?
The main parade will be held from 6pm to 11pm starting from Oxford Street and then snaking down Flinders Street and finishing on Anzac Parade.
Up to 300,000 people are expected to venture into the city to watch the spectacle.
What roads will be closed for Mardi Gras parade?
Road closures in Sydney’s CBD will begin at 2pm, as sections of College Street, Wentworth Avenue and surrounding streets are closed off.
From 3pm, sections of Bourke Street, Campbell Street and a host of surrounding streets will also shut as flocks of people gather in anticipation for the parade.
From 4.30pm Liverpool Street between Elizabeth Street and College Street, Oxford Street between College Street and Darlinghurst Road, and parts of Crown and South Dowling streets will be blocked off.
Any motorists who are travelling between the city and Sydney’s eastern suburbs will need to detour to William Street and Darlinghurst Road in the north, and Cleveland Street in the south.
An estimated 12,500 people will parade the streets – changes to transport timetables and multiple road closures will be in place to accommodate the parade
Road closures in Sydney’s CBD will begin at 2pm, as sections of College Street, Wentworth Avenue and surrounding streets are closed off
How will Mardi Gras impact transport?
Museum station will be the only city train station completely shut from 5pm.
Transport for NSW are recommending spectators wishing to view the parade from the Darlinghurst side of Oxford St to get off at Town Hall, St James, Martin Place or Kings Cross stations.
Those wishing to watch from the Surry Hills side should walk up from Central Station to Oxford Street.
Weekend trackwork is also taking place so buses will replace trains between Blacktown to Richmond, Bankstown to Sydenham and between Cronulla and Sutherland.
Transport for NSW are recommending spectators wishing to view the parade from the north side, Darlinghurst, to get off at Town Hall, St James, Martin Place or Kings Cross stations. While those wishing to watch from the Surry Hills side, should walk up from Central Station to Oxford Street
From 10am to 4pm between Campbelltown and Moss Vale, train replacement buses will replace the usual train timetable.
Sydney’s metro line will run into the early hours of Sunday morning, with the final service departing Chatswood at 2.37am.
Bus routes will also be affected by the parade.
Routes between the city, the inner west and eastern suburbs will divert around the parade route or terminate early at Central.
This will occur from the hours of 4pm on Saturday to 2am on Sunday.
There will be additional bus and train services made available following the conclusion of the parade.
Trains will run on the T1 North Shore Line and City Circle Line until 2am.
Every other line will have a train every 10 to 15 minutes until 1am.
A shuttle service between Bondi Junction and Central Station will also run every 15 minutes until 3am.
A temporary taxi rank will also be set up on Wentworth Avenue from 1am to 5am with other ranks situated at Pitt Street, Bathurst Street and Goulburn Street to operate as usual.
There will be additional bus and train services made available following the conclusion of the parade
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
