Guide to Gay Bars and Clubs | Melbourne City Guide

Melbourne has an intoxicating energy. Explore the city and you will discover there is an aliveness that draws you in and makes you want to be a part of it. This energy crosses over into the nightlife. The city has a very lively queer nightlife scene and late night revelry is very much part of the culture. What’s more, lockout laws were never a thing in the city so there is still a strong culture of partying until the wee hours.

And best of all, Melbourne’s queer nightlife is still growing. There were three new openings in 2022 - Flippy’s in Brunswick and Wows and UBQ in Fitzroy. It's great to see Melbourne bucking the trend of dying queer nightlife.

The biggest concentration of gay bars can be found in the inner northern suburbs of Collingwood & Fitzroy. There are rainbows painted on the sidewalks and you’ll find no less than 10 queer options within walking distance of each other. Drag bar Mollie's, cabaret bar The 86 and gay clubbing institutions like Sircuit and The Peel are all within a few blocks. Add in bear bar The Laird which is a short walk away in neighbouring Abbotsford, and you'll never have to leave the area! You can head to Smith street any night of the week and find a buzz.

South of the river, Prahran & South Yarra have an offering of gay nightlife, but only on certain nights of the week. For Saturdays, one of the best options in the city is Poof Doof. These party organisers are some of the best in the business and this is their home turf so expect a great night out. This neighbourhood also owns the Sunday gay scene with 3 options Railway Sundays, Osborne Sundays and Emerson Sundays. Gay-owned Jono's Piano Bar in the charming Greville street is another option worth checking out.

The other neighbourhood with a noticeable queer scene is Brunswick. The nightlife here has a hipster/queer vibe and includes Flippy’s and queer-friendly Daddy Bar. The suburb also has notable queer dance parties like Big Gay Brunswick Party.

And finally, other must-sees in Melbourne's queer scene are DTs in Richmond and Pride of Our Footscray.

Still wondering where to go with so many options? We've got you covered with our picks for a great night out.

Thursday: Thursgay at Yah Yah’s in Fitzroy is the best fun you can have on a weeknight. Friday: Start your night with drag at Mollie’s. Around 10pm head downstairs to Sircuit for club anthems and dancing. Once you’ve closed out Sircuit, join the migration to The Peel to dance through till dawn. Saturday: You'll be in good hands with Poof Doof in South Yarra. Sunday: Head south of the river and start the evening at Railway Sundays. Once the sun goes down, you can walk to Osborne Sundays for drag and entertainment.

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