The 2026 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival has once again delivered strong audience growth for digital outdoor media leader QMS, with new data showing the company’s premium City of Sydney digital street furniture network surged as the event drew large numbers of local Sydneysiders 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. Audience numbers across the precinct were up 23% during the festival, with evening audiences jumping 58% on parade night. Interstate audiences in the precinct surged 31% on parade day, reflecting the festival’s growing national reach. Queensland and Victoria residents were the largest sources of interstate visitors.
The impact of Mardi Gras extended well beyond Oxford Street, with audience uplifts recorded across a broad range of suburbs covered by the QMS network. Newtown was the standout performer, with 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.
QMS used the festival to showcase bold, bright and dynamic campaigns from leading brands including Westpac, Pernod Ricard, Belvedere and Up across the premium street furniture network, connecting with the large-scale local and global crowds drawn to Sydney for the celebrations.
"Mardi Gras continues to prove its power as one of Australia’s most significant cultural events. 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.
- Olivia Gotch - QMS General Manager, City of Sydney
“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.
“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,” she said.
Source: DSpark Mobility Data, Contacts, P20+, CoS Assets. Uplifts compared to average delivery of the prior three weeks. Oxford Street parade data: Saturday, 28 February 2026.
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