With just one day to go before the 2010 Cardiff Wales Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Mardi Gras, preparations are well underway. Committee members and production crew are hard at work putting the site together and getting everything ready for the main event.
The ethos of Cardiff Mardi Gras is all about a community coming together to celebrate diversity and combat hate crime and there is something for everyone on the field.
The main stage line-up features Adam Rickett, Same Difference, Blue Gillespie, G2L, The South Wales Gay Men’s Chorus and Starman, featuring lead singer Andrew Stone from TV series Pineapple Dance Studios, who appear courtesy of the Wales Millennium Centre, as well as many more acts and a great selection of comperes including Mister Wales, Andrew Western. As well as the main stage, top DJs will take to the booth in the Gaydar Dance Arena from 1pm and the Admiral Cabaret Garden will play host to drag and cabaret artists including Tina Sparkle, Miss Kitty and Donna Marie.
Also on the field will be the market area, bars, catering and funfair and, new for this year, the Heath and Well being Zone supported by the Big Lottery Fund and the Youth Zone.
The event will take place in a fenced off area, with no alcohol to be brought on site, to ensure everyone’s safety. It is free to attend but donations are always welcomed to help keep Mardi Gras free and accessible to all.
For the first time, this year saw the introduction of a series of festival events in the run up to the main event, including the Iris Prize Festival Launch, hosted by Chapter Arts Centre. This evening the final festival event, Gary Coyle’s solo work ‘At Sea’, which is at 8pm at Chapter.
Cardiff Wales LGBT Mardi Gras is organised solely by a volunteer committee. To find out more about the events or to get involved, see www.cardiffmardigras.co.uk.
