The Best Bars and Restaurants in Sydney Celebrating WorldPride
Wondering where to head around Sydney during WorldPride? Here's our guide to the venues radiating queer joy with dance floors, drag and bottomless brunches.
The first WorldPride to ever be held in the southern hemisphere is upon us, boasting more than 300 shows, gigs, exhibitions and parties taking over Sydney over 17 days. Alongside the festivals, exhibitions, stage shows and gigs, plenty of Sydney venues are also getting in on the action.
Bars and restaurants across this city are celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community with drag, bottomless brunches, dance parties and entertainment programs filled with talented queer creatives.
This guide highlights some of our favourite spots to hit up in Sydney during the festival. Whether you're a local looking to hit the town for Mardi Gras weekend or you've travelled to Sydney to celebrate among the queer community, these are the bars and restaurants that are just as excited about WorldPride as you are.
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Bar
ARQ Sydney
16 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst
A staple of Oxford Street for more than two decades.
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Bar
The Abercrombie Hotel
100 Broadway, Chippendale
Dance the night away at this massive Chippendale venue, which boasts multiple dance floors, a rooftop bar and a bottle shop.
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Bar
Stonewall Hotel
175 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
Party till the wee hours in this legendary three-storey bar.
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Bar
The Clock Hotel
470 Crown Street, Surry Hills
A Crown Street icon that beckons you in with a sun-drenched balcony and a menu to match.
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Bar
Kings Cross Hotel
248 William Street, Potts Point
This pub hosts indie bands, jam sessions and DJs, plus there’s a sunny rooftop to boot.
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Event
Pleasures Playhouse
Thu, 22 Sep 2022 - Sun, 26 Mar 2023
Harbour City Cinema, Sydney
This music and arts festival has taken over an abandoned Chinatown cinema.
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Bar
The Marlborough Hotel
145 King Street, Newtown
This three-level Newtown favourite has been a King Street mainstay since 1860.
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Bar
The Courthouse Hotel
202 Australia Street, Newtown
The unpretentious, grungy gem of Newtown with one of the finest outdoor courtyards in Sydney.
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Bar
Barangaroo House
35 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo
The jewel in Barangaroo's ever-growing crown, Barangaroo House is made up of three levels — we reviewed them all.
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Things to Do
Darlinghurst Theatre Company
39 Burton Street, Darlinghurst
At home in a heritage-listed building, the company aims to collaborate and support artists' visions.
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Things to Do
Art Gallery of NSW
Art Gallery Road, Sydney
Soak up some contemporary art and earn serious culture cred at this Sydney institution.
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Bar
Backyard at The Alex
35 Henderson Road, Alexandria
This iconic Sydney pub returns with an expansive beer garden.
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Bar
Red Rattler
6 Faversham Street, Marrickville
A community-based live music venue and innovative arts space.
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Bar
Shady Pines Saloon
Shop 4 256 Crown Street, Darlinghurst
Come for the free peanuts and daily happy hour, stay for the moose head and bar banter.
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Bar
The Oxford Hotel
134 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
From mellow solo acts and laid-back duos to live bands and DJs.
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Bar
Forrester's
336 Riley Street, Surry Hills
The Surry Hills pub has undergone a $1.5-million makeover, leaving it with one of Sydney's best beer gardens.
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Ivy
330 George Street, Sydney
A key player in Merivale's massive CBD precinct, this bar throws one helluva party.
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Bar
The Winery
285A Crown Street, Surry Hills
Drinking classy means having a 'champagne bell' alert the waitstaff when your glass gets empty.
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Bar
Archie Rose Distillery
85 Dunning Avenue, Rosebery
If you're looking to lift your spirits, this gin distillery is the place to be.
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Restaurant
Ezra
3 Kellett Street, Potts Point
This Tel Aviv-inspired restaurant in Kings Cross is run by three Sydney hospitality legends.
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Bar
KISSUU - CLOSED
245 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
Find a Japanese restaurant with eats from an ex-Nobu chef downstairs and a disco-heavy party bar upstairs.
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Things to Do
Powerhouse Museum
500 Harris Street, Ultimo
Pay a visit to one of Sydney's most interactive museums.
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Bar
Hotel Harry
40-44 Wentworth Avenue, Surry Hills
The century-old Macquarie Hotel building gets a Cuban revolution, complete with traditional barbacoa.
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Bar
North Bondi Fish
120 Ramsgate Avenue, North Bondi
North Bondi Italian's old home takes on a casual vibe and a fresh, coast-inspired menu.
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Bar
The Duke of Enmore
148 Enmore Road, Enmore
This Enmore Road mainstay has woodfire eats, natty wines, heavy metal and picklebacks aplenty.
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Things to Do
Carriageworks
245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh
Set within historic Eveleigh rail yards, this arts venue plays host to world-class exhibitions, performances and festivals.
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Bar
The Vic On The Park
2 Addison Road, Marrickville
This old Marrickville gem has been given the full Merivale treatment and it's totally working it.
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Bar
The Beresford Hotel
354 Bourke Street, Surry Hills
A Surry Hills pub with one of the best courtyards in town.
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Restaurant
Cafe Freda's
191-195 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
The Chippendale nightclub has moved to Darlinghurst and swapped late nights and neon lights for natural wines and pastel hues.
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Bar
Universal Sydney
85-91 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
Darlinghurst's legendary gay bar Midnight Shift has been resurrected.
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