Watch Rita Ora’s Emotional Performance at Sydney’s Mardi Gras 2021

She gave a tribute to the late producer SOPHIE.

Over the weekend, we celebrated another year of love at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade.

While Mardi Gras looked a little different this time around due to COVID safety measures, the spirit of pride remained strong. This year, the event was held at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) instead of its usual location along Oxford Street.

Headlining the event was British singer-songwriter Rita Ora.

Giving an estimated 35,000 COVID-safe crowd a dazzling performance to kick off the event, there were definitely some teary eyes in the stadium.

Draped in the pride flag, Rita performed some of her most popular tracks including "Let You Love Me" and "Carry On".

Fighting back tears, Rita told the crowd how she was feeling emotional.

"This is the best community in the world to perform for and I’m forever grateful for your endless support," she said.

"Keep inspiring us all because you really do every single day, thank you so much."

Check out the full performance here.

During the performance, Rita gave a short tribute to Scottish musician and LGBTQIA+ icon SOPHIE, who passed at the age of just 34 earlier this year.

"We’re going to remember amazing people, we’re going to remember talented people like this artist right here, her name was SOPHIE, she was fabulous."

"This is all for the ones that we love."

RIP Sophiexx 💗thank you @RitaOra for paying respect and singing a tribute to her at #MardiGras2021 pic.twitter.com/DMyGSgEdLB

— Hayley- PINNED (@HappyNowKTM) March 6, 2021

Along with Rita, G Flip, The Wiggles and Montaigne also performed for the excited crowd.

Fans and attendees took to social media to express how much they loved Rita's performance.

Get it girl pic.twitter.com/F7Qnb5CfwC

— Leticia (@Blossomedface) March 6, 2021

To keep the event safe, numbers were limited, physical distancing rules were met, and coronavirus restrictions and contact tracing were followed.

While the Sydney Mardi Gras usually draws crowds of around 200,000, the 35,000 people who were able to attend the stadium event made sure it was still a night to remember.

Even though the parade itself couldn’t actually be on Oxford Street this year, it still featured a number of stunning costumes and memorable performances.

You can check out the entire parade below.

Header Image: Brendon Thorne via Getty Images