The day began as Cunard’s majestic Queen Elizabeth entered Sydney Harbour
with a performer poised on a giant stiletto, her 126-metre long cape billowing
behind, and ended as thousands of revellers filled the iconic Oxford Street,
welcoming the centrepiece of the parade – a Strictly Ballroom themed mega
float.

Sydneysiders rose early and flocked to the harbour’s foreshore to see the
"Queen of the Harbour" arrival as well known Mardi Gras performer Vanity Faire
stood on a 2.2 metre high glittering stiletto at the front of the liner.
Carrying 1,900 guests, the 90,900-tonne Queen Elizabeth’s arrival extended the
Mardi Gras Festival to the harbour.

That evening the Mardi Gras parade concluded with an impressive finale – a
Strictly Ballroom themed Mardi Gras float. One of the largest displays ever
built for the Oxford Street parade, measuring nine metres long and 4.2 metres
high, the float featured 98 dancers, six drag queens and mountains of glitter.
The float was created in collaboration with Baz Lurhmann, Ignatius Jones and
Destination NSW.

Please see attached photos. Photo credit – Destination NSW.

About Destination NSW:
Destination NSW is the lead Government agency for the New South Wales (NSW)
tourism and major events sectors. Our role is to market Sydney and NSW as one
of the world’s premier tourism and major events destinations; to secure major
sporting and cultural events; to work in partnership with Business Events
Sydney to win major international conventions and incentive travel reward
programs; to develop and deliver initiatives that will drive visitor growth
throughout the State; to achieve the NSW Government’s goal of doubling
overnight visitor expenditure within the State by the year 2020.

From food and wine festivals to surf competitions, world class sporting events
to celebrations of arts and culture, New South Wales has an Annual Calendar of
Events that celebrates the diverse facets of Australian contemporary life.
Sydney is unrivalled in Australia in its capacity to stage exclusive events
that have the whole world tuning in. Destination NSW has been at the forefront
in creating and winning world-class events that put Sydney on the global front
page. These events deliver in excess of 6 million visitors to Sydney every
year, and generate spending by those visitors of around $6.4 billion.
For a full list of events in Sydney go to sydney.com