³Ô¹ÏÍø's best drag shows and queer-friendly venues
From burlesque life drawing to campy cabaret and LGBTIQA+ friendly bars. Start your engines for these fierce events and inclusive venues.
Midsumma Festival
Midsumma Festival is a sparkle-loaded celebration of all things queer and fabulous. The line up is always stacked with events, featuring a diverse mix of LGBTIQA+ artists and performers. See Oceania’s ballroom houses light up the dancefloor at the Fantasy Ball. Watch State Library Victoria transform into a late-night party with campy cabaret performances at Library Up Late. And catch the family-friendly Rainbow Storytime perfect for little ones age 3 to 8.
Club Voltaire
Unique, intimate and grungy – who doesn’t want a night out like that every once in a while? Find all three things combined at Club Voltaire. A quaint and quirky theatre and performing arts space in Raglan Street, North ³Ô¹ÏÍø. Check out weekly events like stand-up comedy and see ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s emerging cabaret and burlesque talent. This underground haunt favours the most original, offbeat and edgy shows, so you’re bound to see something memorable.
Spiegel Haus ³Ô¹ÏÍø
Find a glitzy, multi-venue wonderland on the rooftop of Golden Square Car Park. Spiegel Haus ³Ô¹ÏÍø is home to everything from cabaret and immersive theatre to comedy and after-dark magic shows. See a free cabaret, piano bar and comedy cocktail hour with Tina Del Twist. Catch a blend of circus, dance and risqué glamour at Blanc de Blanc Encore. Or check out Freak Out! and enjoy an all-night party and live performances to close out Midsumma Festival.
Speakeasy Theatre
Gather some friends for a night of vintage vibes at Speakeasy Theatre. The Vaudeville Revue program features up to 15 artists per night, from jazz acts to stand-up comedy, dance and burlesque. Keep an eye out for tributes to the iconic Dolly Parton, Elvis and Dusty Springfield. Or head along to one of the dozens of performances they have on every month.
ArtPlay & Signal
Families of all shapes and sizes are welcome at creative haven ArtPlay. This inclusive space offers experiences for kids ages up to 13 years old. Sign up for workshops and classes that encourage self-expression. For older kids aged 14 to 25, Signal runs monthly programs in partnership with Queerspace Youth.
More queer-friendly events
Rewind Forward: Creative in Residence Group Exhibition
Drawing from state archives, artists create works that reawaken Victoria’s historical narrative.
Presence (Performance)
A Midsumma exhibition of six artists responding to the theme of being present/performing.
Book Signing: The Pearl Prize
Purchase a copy of The Pearl Prize 2026 and join this exclusive event with writers and publishers.
Re-Imagining Gender: Rei Kawakubo and Vivienne Westwood
Curators Meg Slater and Katie Somerville with Glen Rollason on queer fashion rebels.
Freak Out!: The Afterparty
Circus, burlesque, cabaret and live acts collide with the pumping pulse of 90s house music.
Beyond the Binary: Marlow Moss
NGV celebrates Marlow Moss’s Composition (1956–57) and their queer art legacy.
Party Hard: After the Party
An exhibition exploring celebrations from Edwardian times to the first Sydney Mardi Gras and beyond.
Babies and Barking Dogs: Keith Haring and ³Ô¹ÏÍø
A talk about the late artist's 1984 ³Ô¹ÏÍø works, now on display at NGV International.
Mr Big aka Tatay, A Transwoman and That Tiring Tune
A darkly comic reading of a haunted Filipina trans tale, plus Q&A.
Last updated on Tue 20 Jan 2026
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Club Club at ³Ô¹ÏÍø International Comedy Festival
Come along to the unhinged late night destination of the comedy festival, Club Club!
Piccolo Teatro: Magic Theatre
Specialising in astonishing magic shows and immersive live entertainment.
Blanc de Blanc Encore
Experience an intoxicating blend of circus, cabaret, comedy and risqué glamour.
