Queens of Colour
Itโs Groveโs third season of Q.O.C and this year we're turning up the heat with our Mardi Gras 2026 Edition!
Celebrating First Nations Excellence
Prepare to be awed as this loud and proud celebration of culture takes you through an inspiring journey of live artistry, served by our Wiradjuri, Waddi Waddi and Uralarai Queens!
Meet the Queens
El Beauty
of Waddi Waddi and Uralarai will lead our performance nights, bringing glamour, sass and a splash of camp to her commanding lip syncs, bold storytelling and high impact stage presence. She lights up festival crowds and tears up Sydney's inner west with charisma, confidence and unapologetic flair. Blending humour, heart and duh beauty, she leaves audiences entertained, empowered and wanting more! El Beauty proudly holds tittles of:
2025 Miss Deadly
2025 2nd runner up - Miss First Nations
Tyra Bankstown
Mangarayi Queen Tyra Bankstown has a reputation for being too much of a good time. Jokes aside, Tyra very much values family, community, and country. In her time in The Northern Territory and New South Wales, she has helped raise and donate over $40,000 for numerous people in need, charities and organisations over the years. Her passion to give back to her community led to her being named โMother of Dragsโ on the cover of Sydney's Star Observer Magazine in March 2022. Tyra is on a mission to make compassion and kindness popular again. Hosting LGBTIQ+ safe spaces is a passion of hers. Being an advocate for indigenous queer culture and showing the rest of Australia that the Drag descendants of the original peoples of this country are here to spread love and turn out the party!
The Rundown
๐ Celebrating fabulous First Nations queens all festival long!
๐ค 14 Feb ยท 9pm | EL BEAUTY + TYRA BANKSTOWN
๐ 20 Feb ยท 9pm | EL BEAUTY + FANCY
โค๏ธ 28 Feb ยท 6pm | Parade Viewing ยท 10pm | EL BEAUTY + TYRA BANKSTOWN
๐ Performances throughout
๐ธ $5 charity donation recommended [nightly charity of queensโ choosing]
Meet the Curator!
Oxy Kodeine
With her passion for country and expanding First Nations representation through the queer creative performance space, we're honoured to have Wiradjuri Queen, Oxy Kodeine collabing with Grove as event curator for Q.O.C. Mardi Gras 26! Oxy was nurtured through 'Haus of Kong' as the drag daughter of our famously loved RPDR's Kween Kong. Through passion and diligence, Oxy has established herself as a fierce performer across stages in every city she visits, including proudly holding tittles of:
Miss First Nations 2025 - 1st Runner Up
Wiradjuri Pageant, Season 3 - Peoples Choice
Oxy is regularly on tour nationwide (soon to be International), and now curating events, showcasing entirely queer first nations, performance lineups!
Getting Here
๐ G๏ปฟROVE BAR | 68 Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross
๐ Directly opposite Kings Cross Train Station on Darlinghurst Rd
๐ Limited street parking! Parking garage on Bays Water Rd and on Ward ave [near KX Police Station]
๐ Short 15 min walk from Taylor Square, Oxford street [up Darlinghurst Rd]
House Rules
๐ Grove is home to LGBTQIA+ events and is a safe space.
โ ๏ธ RSA applies at all times.
๐ 18+ only from 8pm, or during any events.
๐ฎ No dickheads allowed. No forms of harassment, aggression, prejudice or discrimination will be tolerated.
๐ Respect the performers. No touching, heckling or stealing the show.
๐ฝ One person per toilet at any time.
๐คซ Please respect our neighbours by leaving the venue quietly.