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Plans for the 50th anniversary of the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras are shaping up to be some of the biggest in the event’s history, with the First Mardi Gras 78ers unveiling an ambitious national program for 2028, spanning concerts, exhibitions, public art, education and historical preservation.

Presented last night, on the 48th anniversary of the first Mardi Gras march on 24 June, the event at Qtopia Sydney brought together the First Mardi Gras 78ers alongside cultural institutions including Museums of History NSW, the Sydney Opera House, the State Library of NSW and Qtopia Sydney to outline a shared vision for commemorating the milestone in 2028.

The plans extend well beyond celebrating a single night in 1978. Instead, organisers want the anniversary to tell the broader story of Australia’s gay liberation movement throughout the 1970s, exploring the activism, community organising and political campaigns that culminated in the first Mardi Gras.

Co-Chair of the First Mardi Gras 78ers Robyn Kennedy told 17cÆð²ÝÉçÇø the organisation wanted the anniversary to leave a lasting legacy.

“We’ve been thinking about this for some time, and we wanted to do more than just still be alive for the 50-year anniversary,” laughed Kennedy.

“We feel it’s really important to acknowledge the history, how far we’ve come, and to recognise… to make this our legacy,” she said.

National touring history program

One of the centrepieces will be a national touring history program led by Museums of History NSW.

Designed to run for two years, the program aims to take the story of the first Mardi Gras and the broader gay liberation and Pride movements into both metropolitan and regional Australia.

According to plans presented on the night, it will combine a travelling exhibition with Salon78 discussion forums and local community activations, giving people around the country the opportunity to learn about early Pride history, local 17cÆð²ÝÉçÇøIA+ history and the lasting impact of the first Mardi Gras.

The proposed itinerary so far includes regional NSW, Sydney, regional Victoria, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane.

Themes of the exhibition include rights, resilience, resistance and recognition, reflecting organisers’ desire to frame the first Mardi Gras – and the societal battles that led up to it – as a pivotal moment in Australia’s social history rather than simply a single protest.

Kennedy said taking the exhibition beyond the major cities was one of the most important parts of the project.

“A lot of small communities, it’s very, very difficult for them to stage Pride events,” she said.

“Because we now have the financial support of Museums of History NSW… we can go to lots of small regional centres and they can build a Pride activation around the exhibition.”

She added that the exhibition would also celebrate local queer history wherever it travelled.

“It’ll be a chance for people to tell their own stories — the story of the area.”

Mardi Gras concert at Sydney Opera House

Another major drawcard will be a special concert at the Sydney Opera House celebrating the music that defined queer life throughout the 1970s.

The proposed program would feature the artists, protest songs and dancefloor anthems that became the soundtrack to Australia’s growing gay liberation movement.

‘Legacy of 1978’ international conference

Organisers are also planning an international conference under the banner Sustaining Social Change – The Legacy of 1978, bringing together activists, historians, policymakers and community leaders from Australia and overseas.

Topics proposed for the conference include the current challenges facing 17cÆð²ÝÉçÇøIA+ communities internationally, the history of activism over the past five decades, preserving queer history, arts and culture, health and wellbeing, policy reform, and how activism can continue responding to contemporary issues.

Art exhibition along heritage-listed Mardi Gras parade route

Outside conference venues, the streets where history unfolded are also set to become part of the celebration.

Plans were revealed for a series of permanent public artworks stretching along the heritage-listed original Mardi Gras route, transforming locations including Whitlam Square and Taylor Square into a storytelling trail.

The proposal includes distinctive art installations and interpretive markers that would allow visitors to engage with the history through text, QR codes and digital content, while creating a destination celebrating the significance of the original march.

Kennedy said the artworks were intended to become a permanent reminder of the movement that changed Australia.

“Initially we were thinking about one kind of large memorial… and then we went right off that and decided it would be good to just mark the route and, at different points, have city-scale artworks that reflected the themes of early Pride history.”

“It’s about leaving something behind, so that future generations can learn the history.”

State Library exhibition

The State Library of NSW is also developing a major exhibition focused on 1978 and the wider social and political landscape of the decade.

Rather than concentrating solely on the first Mardi Gras, the exhibition is expected to examine the broader gay liberation movement and the events leading up to the protest, as well as its immediate aftermath, including the campaign to support those arrested.

Kennedy said it was important to challenge the misconception that Australia’s 17cÆð²ÝÉçÇøIA+ rights movement began with the first Mardi Gras.

“I think there’s a bit of a myth that nothing happened before 1978,” she said. “The only reason 1978 happened was because of all the work that had gone on before.”

“The movement started around 1970 with the, with the formation of CAMP, and a lot of activism happened before then,” Robyn explained. “I think it the first gathering, rally, or demo, whatever you want to call it, happened in 1971. Then there was Gay Pride Week in 73. Also, [1978] wasn’t the first time we’d been arrested… so all of that is part of the history.”

“It wouldn’t have happened had not the path already been laid down.”

Qtopia Sydney expansion

Qtopia Sydney, meanwhile, is planning a significant expansion that will cement its role as one of the centrepieces of the anniversary.

Speaking at the event, representatives outlined plans for a major refurbishment that will effectively double the museum’s exhibition space, allowing for a permanent exhibition dedicated to the First Mardi Gras 78ers.

The announcement carries particular significance given Qtopia occupies the former Darlinghurst Police Station and courthouse precinct — hallowed ground for Australia’s 17cÆð²ÝÉçÇøIA+ community, where many of those arrested during the first Mardi Gras were detained following the police crackdown.

While the vision is expansive, organisers acknowledged it will require substantial investment to become reality.

Presentation slides outlined a funding strategy that combines government grants, philanthropic partnerships, sponsorship and ticket sales across the various projects, with public artwork representing the largest single investment. Organisers stated they are actively seeking support from government and private partners to deliver the full vision.

Kennedy said the program embodied what Pride has always represented.

“I think [the 17cÆð²ÝÉçÇøIA+ community] can look forward to what we have always done, which is mix activism with entertainment,” she said.

“It’s about looking at the past, but also looking at the future, and where we’re going, which has always really been what we’ve strived for. We never just marched for ourselves — it was always about future generations.”

Asked if she had a message for Australia’s 17cÆð²ÝÉçÇøIA+ community as planning ramps up for the landmark anniversary, Kennedy laughed before replying: “Yes, please send us money.”

Nearly half a century after the first Mardi Gras changed Australia’s 17cÆð²ÝÉçÇøIA+ rights movement forever, the First Mardi Gras 78ers are hoping its 50th anniversary will ensure the stories, struggles and victories of 1978 and the gay liberation movement of the 70s are preserved for future generations of 17cÆð²ÝÉçÇøIA+ people, and shared across the country, and the world.