An up-to-date LGBTQI events guide to Melbourne and beyond.

Ongoing events in complex of theatres and concert halls includes circus, theater, classical and pop music concerts, roller and ice skating, cinema and dance. See the Melbourne Festival in October, for 17 days of cultural events spanning continents, cultures and every kind of creative endeavour. See their website for details:

Daily film screenings, making accessible a diverse range of international cinematic landmarks + rarities, including cult, experimental, documentary, silent and short films. See their monthly program online. Admission is by monthly or annual membership.

Really looking forward to bringing back the funny! All our love to our audience, fans, supporters and The Butterfly Club during this time. The Big HOO-HAA! "Improvised comedy at its absolute funniest." - Time Out.

Fridays, 8pm-2am. On hold until it's safe to meet once again in large groups. Original LINEUP: Randy Roy (your host!), Ira Luxuria, Femboyant, Donnie Piccolo, Plastic Messiah, Clint Oris, Alf Alpha, nd everyone's fave DJing drag king, DJ Gay Dad pumpin the tunes! The Gaso is gonna get LIT!

Sunday or Monday nights, various venues, with hundreds of sexy friendly people ready to explode! Local + International DJs/ Stunning Laser + Light Show/ Epic Visuals & Special Effects/ Amazing Performers/ Hunky GoGo Dancers/ Indoor + Outdoor/ Dance Floors/ Dark Play Room for Horny Men. See next dates at:

Thursdays, 7pm-1am at the Inflation Entertainment Complex. $15 at the door. Tunes from Big Daddy + DJ Jackmore upstairs. LUST in the Basement from 9pm featuring house + techno guru Joe Mattei plus the legendary Goat Spokesperson from 11pm. ADAM - the sans clothes pub for guys in Melbourne. Wear a mask unless drinking. A COVID Safe Plan includes social distancing.

April 30 + May 1, 2021. The annual Midsumma Carnival will unfortunately not be able to go ahead in 2021. However, Midsumma Festival, in partnership with Arts Centre Melbourne, will present a spectacular line-up of live performance, comedy and music hosted at the iconic Sidney Myer Music Bowl.

May 1, 2021, 8:30-10:30pm at The Pivotonian Cinema, South Geelong. A passionate coming-of-age tale set amidst the conservative confines of modern Tbilisi, the film follows Merab, a competitive dancer who is thrown off balance by the arrival of Irakli, a fellow male dancer with a rebellious streak.

May 16, 2021, 11:30am + 3pm. Melbourne's favourite bottomless drag brunch, with hostess Donna DuTchme and special guests Dixie Biggs + Eliza Alot! Step in front of the camera, greeted by glamorous queens down the runway for fabulous shows, cheeky banter and fun. Sit back, relax, and enjoy two hours of bottomless beverages and - of course - brunch!

May 23, 2021, 11am-4pm. Parade, pride and party each year in Melbourne's iconic march celebrating solidarity in gender and sexuality diversity. Tie up your bootlaces/ throw on your heels to join the March. Both participants and crowd sizes may need to be restricted this year due to COVID-19. See updates at:

May 23, 2021, 1-9:30pm, St Kilda Bowls Club. CELEBRATE PRIDE TOGETHER: free lawn bowls, gourmet BBQ + pride vibes! Meat raffles, dancing, snags, and soundtrack of summer from POOF DOOF resdent DJs Argonaut + Duchess Kay; HIGH ENERGY DRAG PERFORMERS: Jawbreakers, John Course, Jimi The Kween, AYSHA BUFFET, Justin Teliqure, MAX THE DRAGQUEEN. ANNUAL MEAT RAFFLE HOSTS: STARS OF Granny Bingo.

May 28 + June 25, 2021, 6pm at Palais-Hepburn. Trivia, Tacos, Tequila and BINGO! A hoot and a half, as Alexis Spread + guest lead through an orgy of campy, all inclusive, interactive, immersive, socially distanced, politically incorrect Gaymes. An extravaganza, celebrating sexual diversity in all of its gender-bending glory.

June 4, 2021, 10pm-5am, Brown Alley, 585 Lonsdale St, Melbourne. CLOSET coming out of hibernation for the first winter party. As Rising Festival takes over the city, CLOSET will take over for an all-night rager. A little bit arty + kinky. Grid your loins for dancing, debauchery, dark art and dark rooms. DRESS CODE: Fantasy, fetish, leather, lace, mesh, high fashion, whatever...

June 11, 2021, 8pm-3am. A monthly residency - Fridays at Inflation! Dance like a Queen on birthday dopamine! Your look? Ideas: horse guards leather + gear / club kid duchess / regimental rubber / military millenary / eleganza extravaganza / baron in a birthday suit / the princess pup. Clothing-optional! Outrageous performances. Dirty, filthy dance music. 18+ go hard or just chill!

June 11, 2021, 9pm-4am. THICK 'N' JUICY returns for a mighty party at Brown Alley 585 Lonsdale St, Melbourne, with hundreds of royals, ready to slay the dance floor! High Profile DJs / Amazing Performers / Hunky GoGo Dancers / Stunning Lasers & Visuals. home to a big family of super sexy men and their LGBTIQ+ friends. Everyone is welcome in our home!

June 13, 2021, 3pm-12am at The Emerson Rooftop Bar and Club, 143-145 Commercial Rd, South Yarra. Melbourne we are back together again on the Queen's Birthday June long weekend! We'll be taking over the entire Emerson for an afternoon and evening of the best house music on the planet!

June 13, 2021, 8pm-3am. Happy to show you the ropes…Chuck on favourite denim, leather and cruising accessories, flag your desires and you just might meet your father figure. Fragile Future, David Virgona and the Daddy Mac of DJs Peter McNamara will keep the beats pumping ‘til late + Friski-au-go-go dancers on the podium. Pop up cocktail bar w/ daggy dad-style drinks.

June 16-27, 2021, at Chapel Off Chapel, Prahran + The Butterfly Club, Carson Place, Melbourne. Second largest cabaret festival in the world, a major winter arts events. See website for the 2021 event confirmation and line-up.

June 16, 2021, 8pm-3am. The weather may be cold, but the night will be hot as VicBears takes over the Laird for another of their infamous Underwear parties. The rules are simple. Come in, strip down to your underwear and dance your ass off till the wee hours. DJs Jason Conti + Argonaut will be on the decks - so no excuses for not hitting the floor.

June 18, 2021, FRI 7pm-3am. Contestants strut their stuff as they compete for the title of Mr Australasia bear 2021. Entry is included with SH21 Season Pass and Party Pass. THU June 17, 8pm at DT's, hosts the very beary Adam and queen of campery Holi Dae Knight, grill contestants and get to the bottom of everything we need to know.

June 19 + September 18, 2021, 10:30-11:30am. With the great guys from RBT Gyms Collingwood - some free training for VicBears members. Activities will include Strength Training, Breath Work and Team Training. A body positive group - everybody is welcome. Event is free, but register your attendance by completing an Eventbrite ticket. See you in your sweats boys.

June 19, 2021, SAT 8pm-3am. Southern Hibearnation dance party. Think pop, think colour, think fun, think throw your hands in the air and screech “I love this song”. DJs David Virgona + Jason Leahy know a thing or two about pop tunes so dress it up and get ready to hit the floor. Entry is included with SH21 Season Pass and SH21 Party Pass.

June 20, 2021, 7pm-12am. Round Up is back for 2021 and together with major sponsors Eagle Leather, we’re planning on ending SH21 with a bang at Evies's Disco Diner in Fitzroy, featuring some killer performances, kick ass lighting and the bearalicious Damien Mack on the decks. See SH21 off bear style at this one.

July 2, 2021. "We can't wait to be back with you all!" With an all star cast hosted by Leasa Mann and featuring Pashion, Missy La'Minx, Jemima Handful, Art Simone and Amena Jay, it's going to be one of our most epic Friday nights yet. Music will be provided by Fabuland residents David Virgona and Fragile Future.

October 16, 2021, 10pm-3am. Celebrate the decade that bought us the Spice Girls, Aqua, The Backstreet Boys, Corona, La Bouche and more! Postponed from April.

August 14, 2021. A unique clubbing experience with a strict dress code, ensuring youa’re partying with 300 sweaty and happy leather men. Strict dress standards ensure we maintain a party that remains true to like-minded men in the leather scene. Anyone not in acceptable or appropriate fetish gear will be denied entry.

October 16-22, 2021. Sine Cera Rainforest Retreat: 200 acres of rainforest gullies, pristine creeks and bushland ridges in Ancient Gondwana country. Intensive retreat for men to dive deep into themselves, into relationship with other men and connection with the world. Seven day/ 6 night community, embracing spirit, intimacy, sensuality, authenticity, sexuality, respect, healing and love.

October 28 - November 7, 2021. Fun, food, film, friends and fabulousness, in celebration of LGBTIQA+ Pride and Diversity. Events to include a health/well-being forum at GOTAFE in October and a CARNIVAL DAY on the first weekend in November at the Queens Gardens. Other events to be held during the week across the City of Greater Shepparton.

October 30, 2021 at Shepparton Showgrounds. A destination music festival bringing some of Australia's biggest and best artists to Shepparton, VIC for a day of live music and good times, with music, rides, food trucks, art installations - a short two hour drive north of Melbourne.

November - December, 2021 (TBC), two weeks at Palace Cinemas Como, Balwyn, and Westgarth. The best new films from Italy screen in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Byron Bay and Melbourne (in socially-distanced settings). With Australian premieres, heartfelt dramas and hilarious comedies, cinemagoers will be transported  to Rome, Naples, Palermo and beyond.

Mid-December, 2021 (TBC), at Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, Meredith/ Golden Plains, VIC, 90km W of Melbourne. 3-day, 2-night, 4-dimensional odyssey; haven, retreat, rare treat incursion through inner and outer space. Among world's best indie music festivals. With no commercial sponsors/signage/market stalls/timetable clashes, no telling you where to camp, no curfew, etc.

December 10, 2021 + June 1, 2022. Examining/ revealing queer stories works of art can tell. The NGV Collection exhibition of works spans historical eras and diverse media: painting, drawing, photography, decorative arts, fashion, video, sculpture, and design; exploring queerness as sexuality and gender/ political movement/ sensibility, and an attitude that defies a fixed definition.

January 28-30, 2022, 6pm-12am. Pool/ beach/ club/ rooftop/ garden/ lifestyle/ dining/ accommodation. Three day event of blissful indulgence, taking over St Kilda Beach during Melbourne Pride Weekend; Wondrous new playgrounds of solidarity, sexuality and diversity in a majestic urban paradise. 2020 events cancelled. See the DJ and entertainment line-up at:

March, 2022 (TBC). Each year screening over 120 features, shorts, documentaries and experimental films from Australia and around the world over 12 days; Australia's largest, oldest, most successful queer film festival, at Village Jam Factory, Cinema Nova, and The Capitol Theatre. The MQFF also tours highlights of its program to various parts of Australia. No event confirmation.

March, 2022. Australia’s longest running and largest regional pride festival ChillOut Festival is held annually in Daylesford, Victoria. "As with everything, it will look and feel a bit different, but it will be an amazing ChillOut." See details TBA:

March, 2022 (TBC). ChillOut Festival is a proudly regional LGBTIQ festival. In 2021 Pride was celebrated in the comfort of home. See updates for 2022.

March - April, 2022, Astor Theatre, Palace Brighton Bay, Balwyn, Como, Westgarth, Kino Cinemas. Annual largest festival dedicated to French films in the world. Past year included: Aline, Calamity, une enfance de Martha Jane Cannary, Été 85, J'irai où tu iras, L'homme qui a vendu sa peau, Miss, Un divan à Tunis, Un triomphe, Un vrai bonhomme...

March - April, 2022, various clubs & venues around town; comedy acts, theater, cabaret & stand-up artists of all kinds, including queer talents. One of the three largest comedy festivals in the world. Full 2022 program available in February.