“Well my darlings, if you need me, I’ll be somewhere between a sequin and a spritz because the fabulous season is officially ON. Mardi Gras is warming up, Midsumma has already had us frocked, fluffed and thoroughly socialised, and frankly, it’s shaping up to be a big gay old time from start to finish. My calendar is glittered within an inch of its life and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

There’s something so joyful about this time of year, the energy, the crowds, the celebration, the sheer commitment to having a good time. We’re laughing louder, hugging longer, and turning looks wherever we go. And let me tell you, the line-up of performers heading into the coming months is delicious. Icons, troublemakers, crowd-pleasers and absolute scene-stealers, it’s the kind of programme that makes you want to arrive early and stay late.


But the part I’m most excited about? Wrapping it all up back where my heart feels very at home, Alice Springs/Mparntwe, Central Australia. There’s nothing quite like finishing the fun season in the Red Centre. Every year I return, I’m reminded how warm, welcoming and genuinely special that community is. Alice doesn’t just host you, it embraces you, feeds you, laughs with you, and sends you home glowing (and slightly dusty).

To end March in Alice, surrounded by fabulous people, extraordinary artists and that unmistakable desert magic, feels like the perfect full-stop on an already sparkling sentence. So buckle up, beauties, we’ve got a lot of fun ahead, and I plan on enjoying every single moment.

– Marzi Panne”