LGBTQIA+ friendly venues, events and experiences

Adelaide

Mary's Poppin – Adelaide most popular LGBTQIA+ club with music, DJs and regular drag performances.

Feast Festival – Celebrates the vibrant diversity of South Australia’s LGBTQIA+ community. The festival includes art, performances, exhibitions, workshops, and community activities.

Pride March – An annual Pride rally to celebrate the adversity of the LGBTQIA+ community in Adelaide.

Mylk Bar (Flinders St) – Gay bingo – Every Sunday night Mylk Bar hosts Gay Bingo. Locals flock here for the food, full bar, coffee, trivia and drag queens. 

Diverse-City Cafe/Bar – An LGBTQIA+ friendly cafe by day and music venue by night, featuring live music from local bands.

Image: Feast Festival / Credit: South Australian Tourism Commission

Brisbane

The Wickham – An iconic LGBTQIA+ friendly establishment in Fortitude Valley featuring DJs, drag bingo, trivia, karaoke and more. Open 7 days from 10am til late. 

The Beat Megaclub – Celebrating over 40 years, The Beat Megaclub is located in the heart of the Fortitude Valley nightlife precinct and is the biggest venue of its kind in Brisbane. 

Brisbane Pride Fair Day – The biggest showcase event of Brisbane Pride Festival, Fair Day is an opportunity for local queer creators, vendors and community members to come to together in celebration of LGBTQIA+ identies and culture. Usually held in or around September each year.

Big Gay Day Brisbane – An annual queer music festival and street party featuring local and international artists, drag performances and plenty more. 

Melt Festival – This fast-growing LGBQTIA+ extravaganza was born from Brisbane Powerhouse's Melt Festival and has since expanded to incorporate hundreds of events, performances and venues across the city. 

Image: Story Bridge lit up in rainbow colours / Credit: Josh Simmons via Flickr

Fremantle & surrounds

Flaming Galah – Fremantle's first and, in many ways, only venue dedicated to the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies.

The Court – Regularly hosting LGBTQIA+ events, The Court is an inclusive space for all in the heart of Perth's Northbridge nightlife district.

Connections Nightclub – Connections is vibrant LGBTQIA+ nightclub in the heart of Perth's Northbridge nightlife district, known for its rooftop terrace and drag performances. 

Rabble Books & Games – An independantly Queer owned and operated games and bookshop prioritising representation and community. Rabble features a specialist LGBTQIA+ fiction section as well as non-fiction, and is easily accesible by train from Fremantle station.

Pride WA – Organisers of PrideFest, which takes place every November, Pride WA are a great guide to the various other pride events going on around the Perth area. 

Image: Mural on the side of the Court Hotel / Credit: Stu Rapley via Flickr

Sydney

Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras – Held in Feb or March each year, Sydney's Mardi Gras is a colourful, loud and vibrant celebration of Queer identity, and the largest festival of its kind in Australia.

Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras (Parade) – Sydney's Mardi Gras culminates in a lavish parade celebrating diversity, inclusivity and all kinds of LGBTQIA+ expression, usually held on the final Saturday of the festival.

Oxford Street (LGBTQIA+ precinct/neighbourhood) – Located in Darlinghurst on the outskirts of Sydney's Central Business District, Oxford Street is an iconic highstreet connecting Sydney's Eastern Suburbs with the City proper. Always a fun night out, here you'll find an eclectic and occasionally risque mix of LGBTQIA+ friendly bars, nightclubs, eateries and boutiques. 

The Courthouse Hotel – Affectionately referred to as 'The Courty' by regulars, Newtown's Courthouse hotel is a local favourite LGBTQIA+ friendly venue in the style of a classic Australian pub. 

The Imperial Erskineville – Featured in the iconic 1994 film, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the Imperial is a historic venue and Queer cultural staple known for its drag and cabaret performances. You'll find the Imperial just a few blocks away from Newtown's quirky and buzzing King Street. 

The Bearded Tit – A much loved venue for the local Queer community in the historic suburb of Redfern – now easily accessible from the Waterloo Metro stop.

City of Sydney LGBTQIA+ Events Calendar – Looking for more great things to see and do? Check out City of Sydney's own calendar of upcoming LGBTQIA+ experiences and events in the city. 

Image: Mardi Gras Parade / Credit: Destination NSW