Event Manager Shaughn Woodcock spills the tea on all the ‘wow’ moments we can look forward to at Saturday’s Rainbow Parade on Ponsonby Road.
After Auckland has faced a hellish few weeks, Saturday’s Rainbow Parade will bring an abundance of joy and the chance to proudly celebrate inclusion, diversity, and our Rainbow communities.
For the first time in five years, a motorised Pride parade will take over Ponsonby Road.
Shaughan tells us that on Saturday 18 February, Ponsonby Road will be closed to traffic from 4.30pm, so set up can begin for the biggest party Ponsonby has seen in five long years.
At 5.30pm on Saturday, there will be pre-parade entertainment with The Voice Australia star Lady Lyric (performing in Western Park), Brazilian dancers, and family-friendly activities with face painting, the ‘Bubble Man’ and Sammy the Steam Train ferrying families up and down the street.
If you want the best spot to sit and view the parade at 7.30pm Shaughan recommends securing a seat at The Grandstand at Western Park for $30 from rainbowparade.nz
Shaughan tells us that the first motorised parade since 2018 will be filled with ‘wow’ moments including: RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under star Elektra Shock looking incredibly lickable on the Ben and Jerry’s float, crazy choreographed moments from Danza Dance Studios, members of the international cast of Kinky Boots making a splash (ahead of their Civic Theatre premiere on Friday 26 May, and performing Mila Jam’s ‘It’s Raining Them’ the incomparable Rainbow Pride Marching Team.
Shaughan tells us community is at the heart of the Rainbow Parade, and our communities will be on proud display. The Burnett Foundation Aotearoa, Indian Origin Pride, Bear New Zealand, Body Positive, Rainbow Riders, New Zealand Falcons Rugby team, Rainbow Westies, and Positive Women will be among the 50+ groups and businesses participating in this year’s parade.
Kicking off at 7.30pm, Shaughan says the parade will celebrate diversity and inclusion, which he describes as the ‘pillars’ of the Rainbow Parade’s kaupapa. He tells us that only businesses that champion that kaupapa within their workplace get to participate in the parade and this year they will include Countdown, Sky City, Kiwirail, Les Mills, Fonterra, and Tower Insurance.
After the rough road many Aucklanders have faced this Summer, Shaughan believes the Rainbow Parade will be the perfect event to lift spirits and shine a rainbow of positivity on our great city once again.
The Rainbow Parade takes place on Ponsonby Road on Saturday 18 February from 7.30pm, with pre-parade entertainment from 5.30pm. For more information or to book tickets to The Grandstand viewing area, visit rainbowparade.nz
