QUEER SCREEN MARDI GRAS FILM FESTIVAL | Screenings 12-26 February 2026
ACON is proud to partner with QueerScreen, and we are delighted to co-present a series of sessions at this year’s festival:
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NOVA & ALICE – presented in partnership with Word on the Sheets
Emma Bucht’s heartfelt romantic drama celebrates the joy of unexpected love and new beginnings, set against the backdrop of a music festival tour.
Saturday 14 February – BOOK TICKETS HERE
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3670 – presented in partnership with the Asian Gay Men Project
South Korean director PARK Joon-ho’s debut feature captures vulnerability with empathy and restraint, portraying what it means to be an outsider, both within a country and a community, in contemporary Seoul.
Saturday 18 February – BOOK HERE.
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ON THE SEA – presented in partnership with CAN WE, ACON’s LGBTQ+ Cancer Resource
In a close-knit Welsh coastal town where everyone knows everyone else’s business, intimacy becomes both a refuge and a risk, in this sweaty, salt-weathered romantic drama.
Wednesday 18 February – BOOK HERE.
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ROW OF LIFE – presented in partnership with Pride in Sport
Executive-produced by Olympic gold medalist Sue Bird, Row of Life tells the remarkable story of Paralympian Angela Madsen’s most ambitious journey yet: a solo, unassisted row across the Pacific Ocean.
Saturday 21 February – BOOK HERE.
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THESIS ON A DOMESTICATION – presented in partnership with TransHub
A trans actress balances her hedonistic lifestyle with her public image in this compelling erotic melodrama, executive produced by Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal (Y Tu Mamá También).
Saturday 21 February – BOOK HERE
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AFTERNOON DELIGHT – FREE screening of ‘I Was Born This Way’ with the LOVE Project
Afternoon Delight is a movie matinee, afternoon tea and intergenerational social gathering celebrating our older lesbian, gay, bi+, trans and queer (LGBTQ+) community members. LGBTQ+ people of all ages and allies are welcome.
Enjoy the short films ‘Lesbian Custody’ and ‘You Can Call Me Lou’ and the feature film ‘I Was Born This Way’, the story of pioneering disco artist and Archbishop Carl Bean’s groundbreaking impact on queer representation. Delicious treats, drag celebrities, networking and access to local health information available after the screening.
Presented by ACON’s LOVE Project and Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme (ACVVS), in partnership with Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival.
Sunday 22 February 2026
1.30pm to 5pm
Event Cinemas, 505/525 George St, Sydney
FREE EVENT – BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL – CLICK HERE
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For the full Mardi Gras Film Festival program, visit the Queer Screen website here.
BLACK CHERRY | Saturday 14 February 2026
Black Cherry is an immersive exhibition and celebration of BIPOC Trans talent. It is the fusion of performance art, live music and a party championed by local trans DJ’s and artists.
Premiering at Mardi Gras 2026, the event is about reclaiming those moments and creating space to live now — fully, freely, and authentically.
For many trans people, years spent assimilating meant losing parts of ourselves. Through Black Cherry, we can get that time back. Cocooning for survival often meant missing chances to explore, make mistakes, and learn without heavy consequence. Kianna’s inspiration comes from the milestones missed — proms, graduations, celebrations, and experiences never had as their true self.
ACON’s TransHub team will be activating at Black Cherry.
BLACK CHERRY
From 5pm, Saturday 14 February 2026
National Art School
BOOK TICKETS HERE
MARDI GRAS FAIR DAY | Sunday 15 February 2026
Mardi Gras Fair Day is a fabulous family community day in the park, where everyone’s invited! Visit ACON at Mardi Gras Fair Day in Victoria Park, where we’ll provide vital health and wellbeing information, resources and support.
Look out for ACON’s big marquee, located inside the park near the swimming pool. Drop in and find out more about sexual health, hear from our Peer Education team, learn about cancer screening and prevention for LGBTQ+ people, get more information about ACON’s counselling and community care services, and get harm reduction information and resources from our ACON Rovers. Plus, the Kaleido Health Centre will have a pop-up clinic there next to us, where a doctor can prescribe PrEP.
At ACON’s village at Fair Day, look out for our GBQ+ Community Periodic Survey, and the Sydney Women and Sexual Health Survey. Comprehensive surveys like these are vital to understand the health of our communities and help us enormously to address LGBTQ+ health needs. Please help us by taking a few moments to complete the questionnaire.
Mardi Gras Fair Day is scheduled for Victoria Park on Sunday 15 February 2026. Visit the Mardi Gras festival website for updates.
MARKS PARK SUNRISE | Saturday 21 February 2026
Join us as we remember the past, reflect on the present and look to the future.
During the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival, we gather at sunrise to commemorate those in our communities we’ve lost to violence – and re-commit to ending bigotry and prejudice in all its forms.
This is a free event, presented with ACON, Bronte Surf Club and Waverley Council.
All are welcome to join and reflect with us at the Rise Memorial in Marks Park. Officially opened in 2021, the memorial is dedicated to the victims and survivors of homophobic and transphobic violence. The space is founded on the principles of remembrance, diversity, inclusion, justice and acceptance.
6:15am arrivals for 6:30am start.
After the sunrise, all attendees are invited to join us nearby at the Tamarama Surf Life Saving Club’s Clubhouse.
Accessibility: Due to the uneven terrain of some areas of Marks Park, this area may not be accessible to all patrons.
Marks Park Sunrise
6:15am – 7am, Saturday 21 February 2026
Meet at the Rise Memorial, Marks Park, Tamarama
For more information visit bondimemorial.com.au.
MARDI GRAS PARADE | Saturday 28 February 2026
The 48th annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade is set to take over Oxford Street, Flinders Street and Anzac Parade on Saturday 28 February 2026. Set your true self free as the Mardi Gras magic makes its way down the heritage-listed Parade route for one of the largest LGBTQIA+ nighttime parades in the world.
Over 200 floats from every corner of our communities will strut, stroll and roll from Hyde Park to Moore Park on Sydney’s night-of-nights. As is tradition, our fearless protectors the Dykes on Bikes, LGBTQIA+SB First Nations communities and our beloved 78ers will lead over 11,000 marchers under the 2026 Festival theme: ECSTATICA!
The First Nations Float, produced by ACON’s Aboriginal Project, will once again lead the Parade, while ACON’s float in the Mardi Gras Parade will showcase our latest campaign.
Mardi Gras Parade, Saturday 28 February from 7.30pm, Oxford and Flinders Sts, Darlinghurst and Moore Park.
Plan your Parade experience with all the info on the Mardi Gras website.
Regular Events
Bingay | ACON Fundraiser
ABOUT BINGAY
Bingay is gay bingo which means there’s classic disco tunes, weird rules and penalties, outrageous antics, hilarious repartee, deliciously lewd bingo calls, and prizes that range from the silly and camp to great theatre tickets and restaurant vouchers.
Bingay hostess Charisma Belle oversees the madcap proceedings and Bingay’s long time barrel babe Naomi Palmer spins the balls and sings up a storm.
Bingay takes over the upstairs bar of The Beresford Darlinghurst on the second Thursday of every month, with each monthly event having a fabulously flamboyant theme.
Bingay’s balls first dropped in 1999, making it one of Sydney’s longest running LGBTQ community events + it raises money for our HIV and LGBTQ health services.
So whether you’re a regular or a novice, or a local or visitor to Sydney, if you’re up for a wonderfully camp mid-week entertainment experience, then you can’t go wrong with Bingay.
For more information and bookings, visit the Bingay website here
The LOVE Project
The LOVE Project (Living OLDER Visibly and Engaged) is an ACON initiative that’s all about creating better conversations and improved social engagement with older LGBTQ community members.
By understanding people’s preferences, we can facilitate greater social connectivity, improve social inclusion and evolve services to meet your needs.
The friendly health promotion team of the LOVE Project welcomes you to get on board to share experiences, interact with other members of the LGBTQ community and create a healthier, active and social lifestyle for yourselves and those around you.
For more information, contact: Russ Gluyas | 02 9206 2017 | rgluyas@acon.org.au
Follow the LOVE Project on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Fact Sheets
