>
While Mardi Gras got most of the hype over the weekend, Australia’s hardest partiers decided to kick off their night at the ‘hardcore’ Rave Escape boat party that toured Sydney Harbour.
Thousands of scantily clad revelers celebrated Mardi Gras on Oxford Street on Saturday in what was the biggest crowd the LGBTQIA+ festival has seen in decades.
But the incredible outfits on display at the iconic parade rivaled some of the outfits devised by Rave Escape revelers.
The Rave Escape organizers made the rules very easy to follow: ‘The dress code is relaxed. Shorts, t-shirts, and hats are fine. Closed shoes only. No offensive shirts,’ they said.
And the attendees took that important word, laid back, literally as they partied to upbeat, hardcore, hardstyle and uptempo tunes.
Loud music and riotous fun began at 1pm in Darling Harbor before docking again at 6pm to give people enough time to head to Oxford Street for the Mardi Gras parade.
All black and white outfits shined on King Street Wharf on Saturday in Sydney
It was all smiles when revelers arrived for a great day at Rave Escape in Sydney.
For some people, tassels just never went out of style, or maybe they just came back in style.
Hula hoops are always a nice accessory to have for a Sydney Harbor boat party.
The woman on the right appears to have missed the ‘closed toe shoes only’ memo
With the instruction to arrive before 12:30 for a 1:00 pm start, there were many people trying to board at the same time at King Street Wharf.
To help, there were six VIP cabins available on board, which came with “expedited entry.”
Of course, there was a cost: $500 per booth and you still had to buy separate tickets for the event, even though they were $66 per person off the cost of up to $100 of event-only tickets.
The stands seated anywhere from four to 15 people and included a 700ml bottle of Belvedere vodka.
This beloved couple definitely followed the ‘closed toe shoes only’ rule
Everyone here looks like they’ve been having the time of their lives at Rave Escape
Wearing bathing suits was perfectly fine, as was having a fancy hat.
Glitter also proved very popular with many party-goers, including these two guys.
The man in the center dressed as a sea captain may not have been the actual captain of the ship.
Similarly, the woman on the right dressed in a skimpy sailor suit may not have been a true sailor.
If your budget isn’t enough for a booth, you can still get express entry, including access to a private break room.
That VIP ticket was $100 per person and was “for limited numbers only.”
Once you got on board, whether you had a booth, express entry, VIP ticket, or regular ticket, there was a wealth of entertainment to enjoy.
Names included Technikore, JTS, Weaver, Cotts, Tom-E, Matrix, and MC D.
On the hardcore deck, Firelite, Dillytek, DNA, Steve Hill, MC Riddle and more played the tunes.
If uptempo was your thing, there was Blocka, Tim Dawes, Lihan, Mistortion, Risque and others, hosted by MC Pez.
Plaid miniskirts, dog collars, and bondage gear—it’s all good as long as your toes aren’t exposed to the elements.
Two boys dressed in blue posed with their friend in pink and red florals before setting sail
Loose red locks, a mustache, and a nightgown were fine, but this person may have discovered that her open-toe shoes caused a problem at the boat entrance.
This couple was smiling like they were about to have the best party of their lives. i wish they would
The woman in blue appears to be channeling both Elsa from Frozen and the ears of a pixie.
Wearing a lilac leotard and mismatched sneakers is one way to stand out when everyone is dressing to impress.
The contrast of wearing an orange top and black shorts and shoes also helped this woman stand out.
Pink hair, a skimpy green top, and skintight black cutoff jean shorts helped make an impression.
This woman seems to be looking for her friends, hopefully she found them soon after.
There’s a reason yellow and black are used in many road signs: the contrasting colors make them stand out, something this woman understands perfectly.
Best of all, the Rave Escape appears to have gone off without a hitch, with no incidents related to the event being reported by NSW Police.
Everyone involved will no doubt be looking forward to doing it all over again another day.
Sydney’s Oxford Street was ablaze with glitter after more than 300,000 partygoers celebrated the crown jewel of the WorldPride program, which Australia hosted for the first time, on Saturday night.
Oxford Street was packed before 7:00 pm as thousands of people flocked to the party street to try and catch a glimpse of the parade.
The party was one of the busiest in decades, as Sydney co-hosts the WorldPride program during Mardi Gras.
“This is one of the most electric atmospheres I’ve seen in a long, long time,” Mardi Gras CEO Albert Kruger said.
And of course, it’s all about equality. It’s about celebrating with a purpose.
“For the first time in history, we have the prime minister marching in the parade, which just signals to the rest of the world that we are accepted.”
If there was an award for being more like the jolly green giant, this man surely won it.
Sometimes when everyone around you is very colorful, simply wearing classic black is the best option.