The key addresses in Sydney — verified and regularly updated. Clicking takes you straight to the location page.
On Sundays, the Beresford Hotel in Surry Hills hosts the Beresford Sundays, one of Sydney's most famous gay parties. In the spacious courtyard garden, you can relax with cocktails, while inside, Italian-inspired pub cuisine from pizza to Wagyu steak is served. In the evening, the upper floor is transformed into a dance floor, where DJs play over two floors.
Dykadellic is a lesbian dance party in Sydney that brings lesbian, trans and non-binary people together in a safe space. DJs will play the music, as well as pole dancers and drag kings. What began as a pop-up is now an integral part of the Sydney Mardi Gras calendar. In addition to the dance events, Dykadellic also offers dating events for the community.
Sydney's queer techno scene includes EXTRA Dirty and takes place in clubs such as SPACE Nightclub. The crowd comes from the queer, leather and fetish environment, but all genders and aesthetics are welcome. International and local DJs deliver dark beats across several rooms, plus bars and a smoking area. The parties start in the evening and run into the next day.
Located on the first floor of the Oxford Hotel in Sydney's Darlinghurst district, Gingers @ The Oxford Hotel is located. The New York-style cocktail bar offers niches with lounge seating, a mezzanine and modern lighting and sound technology, plus cocktails, drag shows, DJ sets and small dishes such as sliders. As the official Mardi Gras bar, it supports groups such as the Harbour City Bears; on weekends it goes until the morning.
Located in Sydney's CBD, Ivy Pool Bar blends Italian Riviera aesthetics with LA flair around a pool. During the day, loungers, private cabanas and lots of greenery invite you to chill out, in the evening fireplaces and atmospheric lighting provide warmth. The menu includes cocktails such as the Swim Good as well as Mediterranean dishes. On weekends, international DJs play on the dance floor. An elegant dress code applies.
Located on Sydney's Oxford Street in Darlinghurst, Palms on Oxford is the street's only queer property bar. The retro disco look with mirror balls, neon lights and laser effects is reminiscent of the 80s and 90s, accompanied by danceable 80s tracks and current remixes. During the week without admission, Palms is a popular starting point for pub crawls, especially on weekends.
POOF DOOF Sydney is a queer party night that takes place regularly in clubs like the Ivy Pool Bar. House, techno and pop hits mix on separate dance floors, plus international and local queer DJs, drag performances and go-go dancers. During the 'Rainbow Hour', tickets purchased online offer low-cost drinks included.
The Stonewall Hotel in Sydney's Darlinghurst has four bars spread over three floors: Public Bar, Cocktail Bar, VIP Bar and DIVA Bar. There are quiet cocktail corners as well as beer in the pub and shots on the dance floor. Entertainment runs five days a week, including drag shows at the Hello Darlings Theatre, as well as trans performer nights and leather parties. The heritage-listed building is located on Oxford Street.
The Imperial in Erskineville, Sydney, is a historic LGBT+ venue with a curved façade and multiple areas: main bar with stage for drag shows, rooftop restaurant and basement for parties. The pizzas come from the local Pizza Bros, vegetarian dishes are available at Priscilla's, plus cocktails with drag queen names. Drag N' Dine shows, DJ sets, trivia and bingo fill the program.
Located in the heart of Darlinghurst on Oxford Street, Universal is at the heart of Sydney's queer life. In the bar-café, US classics are played at a moderate volume, accompanied by signature cocktails and Greek-Italian dishes by Bellocio to share in the basement. Drag shows, live performances and open mic evenings are regularly on the agenda, and upstairs DJs play until the early morning in the Shift Club.
Gay bars in Sydney can be found clustered around Oxford Street in Darlinghurst, which has been the gay centre of the city for decades. Since the seventies, the street between Hyde Park and Taylor Square has been nicknamed the Golden Mile, and to this day it is the first address for queer nightlife. Because several restaurants are close to each other here, you can easily switch from the quiet pub to the club in one evening. Well-known places to go are the Stonewall Hotel over three floors with a drag and DJ program, the Colombian Hotel on the corner of Crown Street and the large dance shop Universal further down the street.
If you like it a little more alternative, go to Newtown in the Inner West. King Street has established itself over the years as the second queer centre, more relaxed and mixed than Oxford Street, with pubs such as the Imperial, known to many from the film Priscilla. Depending on the district, the audience differs significantly, which makes the selection large. Darlinghurst is particularly busy on weekends, many bars have free admission and shows on fixed nights. During Mardi Gras in February and March, the whole area turns into a non-stop party mile. From an after-work beer to a night of dancing, the following addresses will help you find the right one.