Posted: 2023-02-26 02:54:10

Sydney's 45th Mardi Gras was one of the biggest ever, according to organisers, with tens of thousands of revellers packing Oxford Street on Saturday night, cementing its status as the premier event celebrating the nation's LGBTQIA+ community.

The festival, labelled by the event boss as "partying with purpose", featured a 2.4-kilometre dazzling rainbow of colours and passion.

Some spectators were prepared to turn up 12 hours early to secure a spot to witness all the colour and action. But for the rest of you, we've sorted through our photographers' images to bring you a selection of the best moments.

A woman without a helmet rides a motorcycle decorated with rainbow flags
Dykes on Bikes, now a household name in Australia, have kicked off Mardi Gras celebrations for 31 years.(ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)
two men kissing and holding teddy bears
Craig and Chris say Sydney has a "buzz" during Mardi Gras.(ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)
crowds and confetti harriet tatham
The crowd was lively and energetic throughout the five-hour spectacle.(ABC News: Harriet Tatham)
A man, wearing a outfit decorated with red feathers, poses for the camera
Eddie Oba, originally from Nigeria, has been to six Mardi Gras parades since moving to Australia nine years ago.(ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)
Photo shows close-up of hairy legs in short skirts with garters
Forget the gym, Mardi Gras is the ultimate leg day!(ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)
A young Aboriginal boy in red shorts dances with decorated sticks in each hand
The parade was opened with a smoking ceremony and organisers acknowledged the Gadigal, Cammeraygal, Bidigal, Darug and Dharawal people as the traditional custodians of the Sydney Basin.(ABC News: Harriet Tatham)
A group of young women stand behind a large sheet of glass reflecting a rainbow flag
The festival hopes to bring focus to Australia's neighbouring countries in the Asia Pacific that don't offer citizens "the same level of equality and human rights that we do".(ABC News: Harriet Tatham)
Photo shows the legs of a rollerskater dressed in fishnet stockings at night
It was always gonna be alright, 'cause skaters gonna skate.(ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)
Two men with greying hair dressed in black 78ers t-shirts smile for the camera
Lance Mumby and Pete Clare have been married for longer than many in the parade have been alive — 46 years.(ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)
Somebody sits in a feather-covered costume as a man, dressed in leatherware with buttocks exposed, walks away
A number of bold, creative outfits were proudly on display with some choosing leather and others choosing feathers. (ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)
a woman dressed in a shiny outfit
Some truly spectacular and striking costumes were on display.(ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)
Leather-clad men dressed in black dance in formation
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the event a "celebration of modern Australia".(ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)
A grinning man in a reflective jacket smiles with a dog resting on his shoulders
With tens of thousands of revellers flocking to central Sydney for Mardi Gras, it seemed every man and his dog was there.(ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)
A large decorative snake is carried in a parade along a crowded street
Participants snaked through the streets of inner Sydney for the 45th Mardi Gras parade.(ABC News: Harriet Tatham)
Photo is captured with a slow shutter speed and shows a woman in a butterfly outfit
The parade — this year running with "Gather, Dream, Amplify" as its central theme — was never short of colour.(ABC News: Harriet Tatham)
People crowd onto balconies decorated with rainbow flags high above the photographer
Those lucky enough to have access to balconies along the 2.4-kilometre route were treated to birds-eye views of the parade. (ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)
Activists carry a banner calling for a treaty and "COPS OUT OF MARDI GRAS"
There was true diversity among the 12,000 people involved, including activists and representatives from many schools of thought. (ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)
Revellers on a street hold their arms in the night sky
The Mardi Gras was a giant party and everyone was invited.(ABC News: Harriet Tatham)
A young woman stands elevated on a utility pole at shoulder height above a crowd of revellers
Some outfits, or lack thereof, stood heads and shoulders above others.(ABC News: Harriet Tatham)
Two men in football singlets stand smiling arm in arm
The Sydney Convicts proudly identify themselves as "Australia's first gay and inclusive rugby union club".(ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)
A group of people dressed in yellow latex dance on the street
Sydney marked the 45th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras with its trademark flair.(ABC News: Harriet Tatham)
Three people dressed in sparkly clothes in the the colours of the Aboriginal flag pose on a street
Organisers of Sydney's 45th Mardi Gras worked with First Nations communities to develop the theme for the festival.(ABC News: Harriet Tatham)
women wearing love hearts on their heads at the mardi gras parade
Those who marched were being cheered on by a lively crowd that was, at times, 30 deep.(ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)
a woman standing in front of a love sign
Sydney's 45th Mardi Gras parade lasted five hours and featured 208 floats.(ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)

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