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Melbourne is Australia’s most English city and it knows how to party.
OutUK's Ernie Areldete has been checking out what's on offer.
Melbourne is the coastal capital of the southeastern Australian state of Victoria. At the city's centre is the modern Federation Square development, with plazas, bars, and restaurants by the Yarra River. In the Southbank area, the Melbourne Arts Precinct is the site of Arts Centre Melbourne – a performing arts complex – and the National Gallery of Victoria, with Australian and indigenous art. Melbourne has a population over 5 million, mostly residing to the east of the city centre, and its inhabitants are commonly referred to as "Melburnians". |
The Midsumma Cruise.
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OUT FOR THE NIGHTSircuit Bar have nightly DJs, dance and drag shows in a colourful, popular and quaint gay bar with a diner above. It's in the Fitzroy district on Smith Street and is very much an inclusive LGBTQI+ Safe Space with Free Pool Tables, Dancefloor and Drag Shows. On Mondays they run ADAM their world famous nude social get together for people identifying as guys. Consensual and respectful conduct is mandatory, but come prepared for a really fun night!Mollie's Bar & Diner is named after the owner's mother and has a philosophy that's simple. Their food is prepared fresh and is served with the same love and attention Mollie served food to her eight sons and seven daughters. They have a unique sun sprayed or heated outdoor roof terrace, incorporating a wind control design, making it perfect for all types of weather and offering a vista of iconic buildings like the Collingwood Town Hall and of course the hustle and bustle of Smith Street. They have drag shows on a number of nights and there's also Drag Bingo and Drag Roulette. Closeby, The 86 cabaret bar is an intimate venue that presents comedy, burlesque, drag, cabaret, magic, theatre, live music, bingo, trivia and queer events with special guest DJ's. They serve over 40 different cocktails and have comfortable booths enjoyed by a diverse crowd. The 86 set a Guinness World Record in January 2017 for presenting the longest non-stop drag show and came Runners-up in TimeOut Australia's favourite LGBTIQ hangouts the following year. SOL Events Melbourne which stands for Sound of Love bill themselves as a world-class circuit party and the premier LGBTQIA+ club in the city. There's dazzling lights, mesmerizing lasers, and pulsating basslines of high-energy dance music. You can dance the night away with their impressive lineup of international and local DJs, performers, and entertainers." For over ten years POOF DOOF has cemented itself as Australia's favourite queer party brand. Born with an unwavering focus on music, POOF DOOF established itself as the go-to night out for any queer, and queer ally, with an appreciation for quality dance music and late nights in Melbourne and Sydney. Since 2014 POOF DOOF Melbourne has served the city's biggest queer Saturday night right in the heart of the gayborhood on Chapel Street in South Yarra in the Chasers Nightclub. | |
| Sundaylicious is the other major LGBTQIA+ club night. It's an event buzzing with energy and bustling with like-minded people! It's one of Melbourne's longest running and well-known gay events. Sundaylicious is normally a Sunday session, but some Fridays and Saturdays are also now included. Their website has details of each event staged at a variety of different venues in the city. |
Photo: Matt Hrkac CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons |
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The Laird is one of Australia’s longest running gay bars and a male-only hotel close to the Fitzroy district. They cater to CIS
and Transgender men only with the occasional gender-inclusive events. There are regular karaoke nights and their events include
Popsicle Magic, Speed Mating and Underbear Dance. There's a great beer garden, lively music, and pool tables. Their regularly held Spit N Polish is possibly
one of the longest running weekly leather and fetish nights in the world.
Spartacus Lounge is an intimate cruising shop that features large video rooms, glory holes and private cabins for all your cruising needs. Not the most glamorous of venues but the clientele make it a worthwhile visit. The crowds here are a mix of gay and bisexual men of all ages, creating a variety of exciting experiences. Weekdays offer a buzzing atmosphere during the late afternoon and after the grind of work hours. Fridays are the busiest in the afternoon and Sundays transform into unadulterated excitement. In Melbourne's Inner West in Footscray, the Pride of Our Footscray offers an LGBTQIA+ space that is relaxed, welcoming and inclusive, with a side of party vibes. The bar also acts as a performance space and nightclub, providing local drag artists and musicians a place to promote their talent. Pride opens every week for drag bingo, trivia, comedy, and poetry. On Friday and Saturday nights, the space becomes home to the only dancefloor in Footscray open until 3am. The venue also regularly hosts well respcted DJs, live music and cabaret by local artists. | |
WET ON WELLINGTONBoys will be boys the world over, and in Melbourne boys certainly like their baths. The best known in town is Wet On Wellington, better known by its initials, WOW. WOW boasts all the facilities and amenities party minded men demand.They have their own Licenced Bar Cafe where the cuisine is Modern Australian, a delicious fusion of Asian and European influences with indigenous ingredients. Enjoy an old-fashioned meat pie in a flaky crust like you would get at any pub, exotic South Pacific seafood, or a mild Thai Curry, among dozens of menu items and daily specials. WOW’s centerpiece is a long rectangular, indoor pool. Perfect for swimming laps, or just taking a dip. Adjacent to the pool sits a ten-man Jacuzzi. The left side of the colossal room housing the wet facilities is enclosed by floor to ceiling glass walls that can retract entirely, creating one continuous area between poolroom and adjacent landscaped terrace. Every inch is sparkling clean, tastefully designed and visually enticing. In a similar vein, Subway Sauna is Melbourne's only inner city men's sauna, open 24 hours a day. They have 30 lockable rooms, 2 separated cruise areas, glory holes, video lounges, newly renovated wet area and a fully serviced cafe and bar. They also have 2 private rooms with a comfortable memory foam mattress and fresh bed linen, secure safe, wardrobe, huge selection of porn, tv, remote & USB connectors, lube, condoms and towels that you can hire for up to 6 hours at a time. SHOPPINGFederation Square has rapidly become the unique and uncontested signature structure on the Melbourne skyline. It is a fantastically modern mall (the entire attractive façade is composed of zinc, sandstone and glass in whimsical pinwheel patterns) erected to celebrate the recent (2001) national centennial. Until 1901, there was no Australia as such, just a collection of separate colonies that were federated that year. Located right alongside the broad and vibrant Yarra River, Federation Square is loaded with restaurants, shops, a tremendous out door amphitheatre, and the National Gallery of Victoria housing a superb collection of Aboriginal and Torres Islander Art. |
BED & BOARDThe best place to stay is at the landmark and very gay-friendly Prince of Wales Hotel in St. Kilda, a five-minute walk from the bay. The Prince houses: Circa, the best restaurant in Melbourne; Il Fornaio Bakery and Cafe featuring al fresco dining; and Prince Wine Shop, stocking the most sought after Aussie vintages. |
Midsumma Festival is Melbourne's annual month long LGBT celebration. Photo: Sam Bianchini |
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The Prince Bar, is a predominantly Gay and
Lesbian venue on Wednesdays and their Mink Bar features 43 varieties of Vodka and the best
Cuban cigars.
There's also The Band Room which features live music, Aurora, largest spa in Oz offering
a variety of treatments and an Olympic-size swimming pool. The Prince is served by
a tram station conveniently located at its doorstep.
DT's Hotel is an unpretentious gay hot spot with quirky decor and a beer garden, hosting drag and karaoke nights. They attract a mixed crowd and every colour of the rainbow drinks there. And finally, we mention again the famous Peel Hotel. They have DJs and drag nights at their long-running gay nightspot with a late license, 3 bars and a courtyard.
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Revised December 2024. | |
