Whether you’re after sunrise dance floors, underground queer raves, drag competitions, theatre, or a big gay harbour cruise, Sydney’s October long weekend has something for everyone.
News
Stay informed with the latest LGBTQIA+ news from Sydney and beyond. From breaking headlines like the Stonewall Hotel takeover to in-depth reporting on Sydney Mardi Gras governance, WorldPride policing costs, and Alex Greenwich’s defamation win against Mark Latham, we cover the stories that matter most to our community. Our reporting keeps you up to date on politics, culture, and events impacting LGBTQIA+ lives.
American Express has withdrawn sponsorship of the 2026 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, leaving Australia’s most prominent queer organisation with no principal sponsor for 2026 and exposing the cash-strapped non-profit to an estimated $500,000 to $1 million shortfall to fill yearly for future festivals.
The Bookshop Darlinghurst will close its doors by the end of the year, marking the end of an era for one of Sydney’s most iconic queer spaces.
Oxford Street drag competition Slay 2 Stay will return for its sixth season this October, Universal Sydney has announced.
Australians’ views on homosexuality have steadily improved for more than two decades, but new research shows that trend has started to reverse.
Drag performer Etcetera Etcetera was crowned Entertainer of the Year at Sydney’s 2025 Drag Industry Variety Awards (DIVAs) on Monday night.
Key discrepancies in a Waverley Council contract disclosure document – modified at least three times since first being uploaded – could point to changes in the Bondi Beach Party planned for the 2026 Mardi Gras season.
The son of a publican who owns Sydney queer venues the Imperial Hotel, Universal Sydney and Oxford Hotel – who claimed on LinkedIn to be a “director” of the parent company that owns those pubs – has been charged after allegedly breaking into a woman’s home with two other men to steal her car keys and registration papers.
Rival Mardi Gras factions are preparing to rally supporters, setting up a decisive contest over the future direction of the festival.
Serial Grindr fraudster and catfisher Dong Qiao Li has been sentenced to three months in jail for defrauding his latest victim after a magistrate heard of his decade-long history of scamming victims out of almost $120,000, many of whom he met on the gay dating and hookup app.