(Sydney Leather Festival will enter its fourth year in 2026, following its evolution from Sydney Leather Weekend (2023) to Sydney Leather Week (2024) and now the expanded, ambitious festival it became in 2025. SLF is a multi-day celebration and showcase of Sydney’s Leather, Fetish, and Kink community.

Our mission is to create a welcoming, empowering environment where people can express themselves authentically, connect meaningfully, learn from one another, and celebrate our shared passions. Through workshops, parties, social events, ceremonies, and performances, we aim to strengthen community bonds, promote understanding and acceptance, and make a positive impact both within our community and beyond it.

Our vision is bold: to establish Sydney Leather Festival as a global destination, an event that draws visitors from across Australia and around the world to experience the authenticity, creativity, and heart of Sydney’s leather, fetish, and kink culture. We are committed to restoring Sydney to its rightful place as a leader and powerhouse in this space.

Originally organised and funded in collaboration with Sydney Leather Men in 2023, the festival later transitioned into its own entity. For transparency, the operating name is privately owned to protect the brand; however, SLF does not exist to generate profit. Its purpose remains firmly rooted in celebrating the community. Most festival events are run by local groups, businesses, and community organisers, and that’s exactly how we intend it to stay. The success of SLF belongs to the community.

Sydney Leather Festival in all its iterations has been co-founded by Coach Jura (Sydney Mr Leather 2023) and Mick Watson (Sydney Leather Person 2023 and 2025). Born from a shared vision, SLF was created to reassert Sydney’s standing as an international destination for leather, fetish, and kink.

SLF continues to be led and organised by its founders with the support of incredible community businesses, events, and groups. Since 2023, the Festival Director has been Mick Watson. As stated at the conclusion of the 2025 festival, the 2026 organising theme is consistency, a commitment to maintaining the festival’s timing, strengthening relationships, and building stability and sustainability rather than expanding or shifting format. Minor refinements can be expected, but the core mission remains unchanged: celebrating and elevating Sydney’s leather, fetish and kink community.

As Sydney Leather Festival continues to grow and evolve, we are actively reviewing the festival’s structure to ensure its long-term sustainability and independence. With the founders preparing to step aside (after the 2026 season) and open the next chapter to fresh leadership, new ideas, and stronger involvement from across the community, change is both intentional and necessary. Mick Watson has advised that he will not continue as Festival Director beyond the conclusion of the 2026 festival, creating an opportunity for others to help shape the future of this community-run event. The founders remain committed to ensuring the festival retains its independent governance and vision, operating free from undue pressure, while continuing to uplift and celebrate the broader leather and fetish community under one inclusive banner.