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.
Nightlife & venues
Explore Sydney’s vibrant LGBTQIA+ nightlife. Discover club and bar openings and acquisitions, venue closures, and detailed reviews like our take on Flash. We also cover major milestones such as ARQ’s farewell, plus event guides and insider tips for your next night out.
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.
Flash, the gay Sydney dance party that seems to have beef with Gay Sydney News for reasons that are not fully understood, is moving from its original venue on Oxford Street to new digs at Kings Cross Hotel following a run-in with council over capacity issues.
Palms on Oxford has secured Showgirl Sundays, the long-running drag showcase formerly hosted at Stonewall Hotel, after a dispute over how it was named in the nomination list for Sydney’s annual drag industry awards and amid ongoing tensions over the lack of payment for guest performers.
Stonewall Hotel’s top floor will be turned into an upmarket, all-male nude strip club with a cover charge, as part of plans to revitalise the 27-year-old Oxford Street gay bar.
A new rainbow crossing near Taylor Square has been proposed by the City of Sydney, which will include the progress flag design.
The outgoing manager of Sydney CBD sex-on-premises venue 357 has signed a lease agreement to become the new tenant of the current Bodyline building.
Sydney queer history and cultural centre Qtopia is one of the federal budget winners after the Albanese government agreed to allocate $1.5 million to it in the 2024-25 federal budget.
When a little-known US company quietly posted a press release on its website announcing it had acquired Sydney’s legendary Stonewall Hotel last month, the news flew under the radar.
Longtime publican and proud lesbian Sue Cameron is set to breathe fresh life into the three-storey Newtown Hotel as its new owner, with an estimated $2 million renovation, expanded entertainment, and a renewed focus on its role as an inclusive space for Sydney’s queer community.