Sydney Mardi Gras Festival is set to explode in Sydney, with a wealth of big-name talents, including RuPaul, D.E. Experience, Trevor Ashley and Sneaky Sound System gracing the annual smorgasbord of arts, parties and social events, from 12 February till 4 March 2012.

This year’s Mardi Gras Festival boasts over 60 special events – including iconic event favourites like the Parade, Fair Day and Harbour party – and features performances from big international acts as well as the cream of community and homegrown talent.

One of the headliners at the Mardi Gras Party will be drag superstar of the world RuPaul, who has been immortalised not only in a wax portrait at Madame Tussaud’s Museum in Times Square, but also in several feature film roles and television shows. Also appearing at the Party will be top UK performer Jonathan Hellyer, who will take us from the sublime to the ridiculous with his vastly popular cabaret act D.E. Experience. UK’s Independent on Sunday newspaper described him as "Ziggy Stardust meets Dionysus, who happens to be in bed with Jim Carrey at the time". Aussie dance music ensemble Sneaky Sound System promise a throbbing DJ set, with Miss Connie providing live vocals and stirring the crowds into a frenzy, and partygoers can also expect performances from DJ Lady Miss Kier from iconic ’90s dance group Deee-Lite as well as internationally acclaimed Londoners Horse Meat Disco.

The Australian premiere of Broadway hit The Temperamentals promises an intelligent, sexy and entertaining mix of politics, camp humour and emotional candour. Playwright Jon Marans tells the tale of two men who fell in love while forming America’s first gay rights organisation. This is a fascinating exploration of pre-Stonewall gay activism, in the early ’50s in the US, when ‘temperamental’ was a code for ‘homosexual’.

Fresh from his star turn as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray The Musical, Trevor Ashley turns his formidable talent to channelling the one and only Dame Shirley Bassey, in the spectacular two-act show Diamonds are for Trevor. Expect the diva in all her glory – big gowns, big hair and an even bigger voice, as Trevor, backed by a 14-piece orchestra, takes a hilarious and moving tour through Shirley’s life and celebrates her musical legacy.

The world’s greatest exponents of cabaret, new burlesque, circus sideshow and vaudeville will transform the Sydney Opera House Studio into a lush salon, as the stars of La Clique dish up pure old-fashioned showmanship in the not-to-be-missed La Soirée.

A sell-out smash at the Adelaide Festival, Britney Spears: The Cabaret pays tribute to the car-crash-slash-pop-princess extraordinaire. Not so much a cabaret as a cry for help, the critically acclaimed show takes a satirical look at the perils of fame, with La Spears’ hits transformed into cabaret, seamlessly telling the tragic/comic tale of her life.

Cheesy serenades and camp camaraderie abound in Bob Downe’s Retro-gras Tea Dance, as our very own Clown Prince of Polyester is joined onstage by a range of special guests, for a hilarious Sunday arvo of retro dancing, upstairs at the Beresford Hotel.

Some of the world’s most influential academics and creative talents discuss their work, passions and communities in the thought-provoking Queer Thinking event. Speakers include Professor Sara Ahmed from Goldsmith’s University of London, artist Gary Carsley and queer Muslim lawyer and social justice activist Alyena Mohummadally.

Something of a Mardi Gras institution, Hats Off! returns to showcase a star line-up of Australian musical theatre, comedy, dance and cabaret performers, all donating their time and talent to raise funds for HIV-related charities.

The hub during the Festival will undoubtedly be the Mardi Gras Festival Bar, at the Oxford Hotel. Expect a packed program of performers, big name DJs, comedy and some of our favourite community events – including Mega Furry Friday, when the bears take over all four floors, Mega Buzz, Swagger, Hot Rod, Dog Tag and Burlesque, plus Underground with Sydney Leather Pride events.

As well as these events and many more, there will be the Mardi Gras Film Festival presented by Queer Screen, a visual arts program, the Team Sydney sports festival, a range of events for young people – including a Queer Prom to celebrate Twenty10’s 30th birthday – and much, much more.

Festival Program Manager Sam Sweedman said, "Mardi Gras Festival gives us the chance to showcase the best in Australian and international talent – as well as providing a range of events that will delight, entertain, stimulate and provoke."

"Our Festival is a unique opportunity to enjoy the diverse range of creativity and thinking that is born in the international queer community. This year’s Festival sees a selection of great new events, as well as some stellar talent headlining both the Festival and Party."

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