The 2026 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has delivered strong audience growth for digital outdoor media leader QMS, the event causing a surge across the network from large numbers of locals and tourists.
Across the City of Sydney network, audience numbers were up 9% during the festival with interstate audiences jumping 16%.
The Oxford Street precinct, the heart of the Mardi Gras celebrations, saw some of the strongest results with audience numbers up 23% during the festival and evening audiences up 58% on the parade night.
“The audience numbers we saw this year confirm that the festival draws enormous crowds not just to the parade route but across the entire city,” said Olivia Gotch, QMS General Manager, City of Sydney.
Interstate audiences in the precinct surged 31% on parade day, with Queensland and Victoria residents being the largest sources of interstate visitors.
The event cause uplift across the network, with Newtown as the standout performer,having audiences up 46% during the festival.
Chippendale, Glebe and Ultimo were each up 13%, with Camperdown and Redfern both recording 11% increases.
Waterloo, Erskineville, the Sydney CBD and Alexandria each posted 8% audience increases.
“We’re also seeing the festival’s interstate reach expand year on year, which is a further signal of Sydney’s standing as a global LGBTQ+ cultural destination and of our QMS network’s ability to deliver audiences that extend well beyond the local market,” said Gotch.
QMS utilised the festival to showcase bold, bright and dynamic campaigns from leading brands including Westpac, Pernod Ricard, Belvedere and Up across the street furniture network.
“Every year, our City of Sydney network proves it is uniquely placed to connect brands with these major events that Sydney hosts. For advertisers, that means the network can ensure their brand will reach and connect with genuine audiences at scale,” said Gotch.
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