Parade took place on 27th February 2010 and this year's theme was
Mardi Gras’ History of the World
.
An enthusiatic audience in the hundreds of thousands crowded the city to glimpse our sexy and bawdy rollercoaster ride through the ages, looking at gay history and shining a pink spotlight on some of mankind’s great figures and events.
Balmy weather saw groups picnicking on the pavements of Darlinghurst from early afternoon and the Parade route packed to capacity by the time the dykes on bikes kicked off the 33rd outing of this uniquely Sydney event.
Resplendent in almost nothing the transsexual fashion icon and muse Amanda Lepore was the perfect maidenhead for the Mardi Gras ship. Outrageous, larger-than-life and utterly individual, this year’s Chief of Parade was the first of almost 10,000 participants in this year’s march.
The history of the world theme brought out gay & lesbian Sydney’s creative best, from the spectacular “Remembering Genius” lead float to incredible individual costume creations, from Queen Victoria to Frieda Kahlo.
It was a Parade which saw lots of big choreographed marching groups, with mass arrays of George Michaels, Egyptians, zombies and surf lifesavers. Meanwhile a stunning “pink carpet” lined the streets thanks to a new, innovative lighting system that made the route sparkle more than ever.
Last year over 21,000 visitors came specifically to Sydney for Mardi Gras, according to figures from Events New South Wales, generating almost $30m for the New South Wales economy.