The Pride Business Association has been part of Mardi Gras since 1981.

Long before corporate support was mainstream, the PBA has existed as a place for LGBTQIA+ business owners and professionals to meet, connect, and support each other. That role has stayed remarkably consistent. We’re creating spaces to back each other in. And keeping the economic life of the community visible and viable.

Mardi Gras season is one of the few times each year where that work becomes highly visible.

This guide is about where the PBA is showing up, why those moments matter, and how to engage with them in a way that strengthens the community rather than just passing through it.

Fair Day
Sunday 15 February, Victoria Park

Fair Day remains the most open and collective day of the season. It is where the full diversity of the community gathers, and where the relationship between community and economy is most tangible.

The PBA will have a stall on the day, handing out tote bags and spending time talking with members, business owners, and community alike. There is a quiet historical echo here. What became Fair Day grew out of Gay Fair, a moment originally shaped with strong involvement from the business community. That history is worth remembering.

Come say hello to the PBA President Jarrod Lomas at the PBA Stall at Fair Day 2026.

This year, PBA will also be releasing a map via our social channels showing where PBA members can be found across Fair Day. It is a simple prompt with a clear purpose: Buy Rainbow. Support the rainbow economy and spend your money where it circulates back into our diverse community.

Come ready to wander, to discover, and to support.

Find out more about Fair Day: https://www.mardigras.org.au/event/fair-day/

Fruits Sydney
6pm, Thursday 19 February, Zephyr Bar

Fruits Sydney: Mardi Gras Edition

This year, Fruits Sydney lands squarely within the Mardi Gras festival period for the first time in a while, and that timing matters. It brings Fruits back into the thick of the season rather than orbiting around it.

It is also a milestone year. Fruits turns 30 in 2026, and this night marks the beginning of those celebrations. What started as a simple idea has endured because it has always prioritised connection over performance.

Held at Zephyr Bar, this will be a big night with some incredibly huge prizes and surprises. Hannah Conda will be attending as a special guest, and the room will reflect the breadth of the PBA community across industries, generations, and experience. Expect familiar faces, new introductions, and the kind of conversations that only happen when the timing is right.

Find out more and register here: https://pba.org.au/events/#!event/2026/2/19/fruits-sydney-mardi-gras-edition

READ MORE: Highlights from the January 2026 PBA x GLOBE Virtual Networking Event

Lemons
6pm, Sunday 22 February, Qtopia

Lemons at Qtopia sits in a different register to many Mardi Gras events, and that is precisely its value.

Qtopia is not just a venue. It is a cultural anchor. Being present in that space, during this season, matters. Lemons creates room for conversation that is reflective rather than transactional, and for engagement with queer culture beyond nightlife alone.

If you are looking for something that feels considered and grounded amid a busy week, while still being a fabulous night out with prizes and a DJ, this is it.

Find out more and register here: https://pba.org.au/events/#!event/2026/2/22/lemons-mardi-gras-edition

Fruits Parramatta
6pm, Thursday 5 March, PARKROYAL Parramatta

Fruits Parramatta: Mardi Gras Edition

Fruits Parramatta closes out the season with intention. Held at PARKROYAL Parramatta, it brings the community together in the west after the peak festival period has passed.

READ MORE: Fruits Parramatta: Kicking Off a Milestone Year in Western Sydney

This event is consistently one of the most welcoming in the calendar. Conversations slow down. Connections deepen. It is an ideal setting for people newer to PBA, those reconnecting after Mardi Gras, or anyone who prefers substance over spectacle.

Find out more and register here: https://pba.org.au/events/#!event/2026/3/5/fruits-parramatta-mardi-gras-edition

Events hosted by PBA members

Across the season, PBA members are hosting their own moments. Keep an eye out for:

• Darlinghurst Life Drawing Classes, 13-18 Feb
• The Fabulous Wonder Mama
  • Create a Fabulous Mardi Gras Foam Headpiece Workshop, 17 Feb, 26 Feb, 28 Feb
  • Discover Oxford St – Sydney’s LGBT Hub Walking Tour, 17 Feb, 26 Feb, 1 Mar
  • Pop/Art Cabaret, 21 Feb
  • Draw a Drag Queen Life Drawing Workshop, 22 Feb
• Sappho Books
  • Robyn King, 13 Feb
  • Valentine’s Day Jazz Duo: Jack Brennan & Damon Poppleton, 14 Feb
  • DR3W, 20 Feb
  • Mark Lucas, 21 Feb
  • Sappho Comedy Club, 26 Feb
  • eyelyna, 27 Feb
• Syd Showgirls
  • Felicity’s Full House (Music Bingo at 7.30pm then Draggieoke from 10pm) at the Newtown Hotel, every Thursday from 7pm-12am
  • Draggieoke at The Woolpack Hotel, every Saturday from 7pm-9pm
  • Key’d Up Live Piano Bar at The Newtown Hotel, every Sunday from 5pm-8pm
  • Dakota’s Showgirl Sundays at Palms on Oxford, every Sunday from 9pm-10pm
• Ultimately Sydney’s Street Beats & Mardi Gras Treats, daily 20-28 Feb
• Marks Park Sunrise Rise Memorial, 21 Feb
• Sock Drawer Heroes & Friends Laneway Market, 21 Feb
• Sam Henderson’s Inner Child Connection Workshop, 22 Feb
• Mega Malebox at Stonewall Hotel, 25 Feb
• Qtopia Sydney’s Loving Exhibition & Festival Programme, all Festival

Plus, check out the PBA Business Directory, where you can find a LGBTQIA+ business for your every need.

PBA events are fun and bring people together. Everyone is welcome at the PBA.

Mardi Gras is a celebration, but it is also an ecosystem.

The businesses that survive it, and the community that sustains it, depend on people making conscious choices about where they gather and who they support.

Use the season well. And, we’ll see you at PBA events this Mardi Gras

Everyone is welcome at the PBA! Check out our upcoming events.

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Jarrod Lomas President

Jarrod’s passionate about increasing visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community, creating the environment for important conversations to take place around issues facing our community and empowering people to be their authentic selves in their workplace, schools and community.

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