CARDIFF, September 5  –  Organisers of the seventh annual Cardiff-Wales Lesbian and Gay Mardi Gras vowed to paint the town pink for this year’s event this coming weekend.

And ‘officialdom’ is right behind them.

The Millennium Stadium, the Wales Millennium Centre, City Hall and St David's Hall will all be lit up with pink lights – and the Welsh dragon will even turn pink.

Cardiff is fast becoming well known for its diversity and sensitivity to LGB people and the Mardi Gras is supported and endorsed by everyone from First Minister Rhodri Morgan to Charlotte Church, and Rodney Berman, the leader of Cardiff Council to the Lady Mayor herself.

(Mae Caerdydd yn derbyn enw da am ei amrywiaeth a'i sensitifrwydd tuag at bobl LHDd a chaiff y Mardi Gras ei gynnal a'i gefnogi gan bawb o Brif Weinidog Cymru, Rhodri Morgan i Charlotte Church, a Rodney Berman, arweinydd Cyngor Caerdydd I'r Arglwyddes Faer ei hun. Gwnewch y Mardi Gras yn ddigwyddiad i chi!)

“This year we are planning to paint the town pink with the biggest gay party Wales has ever seen,” a spokesperson said.  “Over 40,000 people will flood into the Welsh capital for this amazing day of celebration, where we enable a visible and proud gay, lesbian and bisexual community in the Principality.”

(“Eleni rydym am baentio'r dref yn binc gyda'r parti hoyw mwyaf mae Cymru wedi gweld erioed. Bydd dros 40,000 o bobl yn llifo i brifddinas Cymru ar gyfer y diwrnod dathlu anhygoel hwn, lle rydym yn cydnabod cymuned hoyw, lesbiaid a deurywiol gweladwy a balch yng Nghymru.”)

Saturday’s event (September 10) gets underway in Cooper’s Field in the afternoon.  And as usual is it a “free” event.

Performing on the main stage during the afternoon will be Charlotte Church (patron of Mardi Gras and often dubbed the “angelic ambassador2 for the event), Faye Tozer and The Boy George Experience, plus a two hour set hosted by Red Dragon FM and a finale, organisers say, “too huge to detail”.

Then, in the evening, the entertainment switches to the Millennium Stadium for what could well be the largest-ever gay concert in the world.  The Millennium Stadium, the UK’s only stadium with a retracting roof, has a seating capacity of 74,500 for sports events.

Bjorn Again, The Boy George Experience and Bristol based Indie band El Guapo are just some of the groups who will entertain from 7.30pm right through until 12.30am.  Tickets are £12.50 and can be obtained from Ticketmaster (booking and order processing fee applies) and or for personal callers at Millennium Stadium Ticket Office, 98 St Mary Street, Cardiff.

LINKS

Cardiff Mardi Gras website