The popular Sydney Mardi Gras Fair Day has been cancelled just days out due to asbestos at the event site.
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More than 70,000 people were expected to attend the event at Victoria Park on February 18, however asbestos was found amid an ongoing mulch contamination saga in Sydney.
The City of Sydney and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras coordinated a clean-up of the site but decided the safety concerns for the large-scale event were too great.
"It breaks our heart to see this Sunday not go ahead, but given the safety concerns we must put our communities' wellbeing first," Mardi Gras chief executive Gil Beckwith said.
"The rest of our festival continues unchanged, offering many chances over the 17 days for our communities to come together in celebration and solidarity."
It comes as the City of Sydney begins testing a further 32 parks where an asbestos contaminated mulch may have been used.
The mulch was first identified at Rozelle Parklands in January and later at a primary school in Liverpool, Sydney.
As part of its investigation the NSW Environment Protection Authority has tested more than 100 sites across Sydney, with 13 positive results for bonded asbestos.
Bonded asbestos is considered a low risk to public health, according to NSW Health, and the EPA said the contaminated mulch has been linked to one supplier.
City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the decision to cancel Mardi Gras' Fair Day was "incredibly disappointing" but community safety was the priority.
"We will continue to work with Mardi Gras once the asbestos issue is resolved," she said.
"Today's decision underscores how serious this is.
"The NSW Government and the EPA must make sure this never happens again."
The two-week Mardi Gras festival takes over Sydney from February 16 to March 3.
In its 46th year the parade will fill Oxford St, Flinders St and Anzac Parade with more than 200 floats and 12,000 marchers on March 2 from 6pm until 11pm.
