Prince Alfred Park, Surry Hills, New South Wales © Destination NSW
Australia’s top LGBTQIA+ neighbourhoods
Meet the locals, support small queer-friendly businesses and celebrate good times in these LGBTQIA+ neighbourhoods across Australia.
In Sydney, bustling inner-city Darlinghurst is the focal point of the annual Mardi Gras festival and home to some of Australia’s longest-running and best-known LGBTQIA+ bars, such as The Colombian, Arq Sydney and the Stonewall Hotel. Most of the action takes place along the main thoroughfare of Oxford Street, which is lined with entertainment venues and retailers. The neighbouring suburbs of Surry Hills and Potts Point are queer hubs, too; both spots are known for their concentrations of top restaurants and their well-dressed residents.
The adjacent suburbs of Fitzroy and Collingwood are the hub for Melbourne’s more alternative scene. The streets are full of colourful characters, and you’ll see plenty of piercings and tattoos. In Fitzroy, you’ll find the long-running rainbow bookshop and gathering place Hares & Hyenas, the avant-garde fashion mecca Bruce and lively queer bars and clubs such as The 86 and Sircuit. In Collingwood, expect funky breweries like Stomping Ground and rooftop bars like Easey’s boasting some of the city’s best eats.
In Adelaide, LGBTQIA+ folk abound in the city centre, in neighbouring North Adelaide and in the beachside suburb of Semaphore. Expect laid-back, coastal chic by day, followed by vibrant cocktail bars and sophisticated local pubs by night. Held annually from February to March, the extravagant antics of the world-famous Adelaide Fringe Festival have the city abuzz at all hours. Think boundary-pushing art installations, hilarious comedy acts and impressive local gigs.
Perth’s city is an inclusive hub of arts, culture and dining set on breezy coastal shores. Here, you’ll find LGBTQI+ friendly bars and nightclubs brimming with people dancing the night away. Connections Nightclub is one of the city’s most revered spots for a boogie, while The Court is a (literally) rainbow venue home to drag shows, comedy events and all-night wood-fired pizza. Each year from mid-January to mid-February, you can catch a fantastic array of events from circus acts to cabaret during the outlandish Fringe World festival.
If you’re visiting Brisbane, you’ll find LGBTQIA+ bars and clubs in the city’s fringing suburb of Fortitude Valley and a queer-friendly atmosphere in nearby New Farm, where Brisbane Pride’s annual Fair Day takes place. Both youthful hubs offer an eclectic atmosphere, brimming with funky street art, thriving nightlife, quirky vendors and epic events. Catch Open Season's killer line-up of gigs from May to August each year, savour innovative dishes and immaculate vibes at New Farm’s riverfront haunts and tick off the area’s best city breweries and wineries.
Pretty South Yarra has become the suburb in which many of the city’s LGBTQIA+ residents aspire to live. Chapel Street is full of boutiques and upscale cafés, such as Ned’s. Nearby, hotels The Olsen and United Places offer luxurious accommodation. Keep heading south along Chapel Street and you’ll pass through busy Prahran before reaching the seaside suburb of St Kilda, a 20-minute drive from the city. This stretch of Chapel Street plays host to many of Melbourne’s best LGBTQIA+ events and parties: top venues include lesbian-friendly Attik and LGBTQIA+ institution Chasers.
Think of Newtown as Darlinghurst’s wonderfully weird and bohemian cousin. Newtown’s main thoroughfare, King Street, has long been a popular hangout for students, artists, musicians and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Newtown also boasts some of the best casual dining in Sydney. Take your pick from busy restaurants, such as Thai Pothong, or seek out cult bakery Black Star Pastry and sample its renowned strawberry watermelon cake. At night, the action moves to trendy cheese and wine bars such as the Continental and stalwart venues including The Bank. In nearby Erskineville, the Imperial Hotel has been an LGBTQIA+ meeting spot since the 1980s.
