Gay Perth 2026

The honest summary: Perth's gay scene is small for a city of more than two million, and most of it sits within a few blocks of Northbridge, just north of the CBD. There are two real anchors, The Court and Connections, plus one gay sauna, Perth Steam Works, and a queer bar in Fremantle, The Flaming Galah. A lot of queer life happens through clubs, sports teams and parties rather than bars, and the city is at its busiest in November, when PrideFEST runs for most of the month.

What the scene actually looks like

We checked OUTinPerth, Star Observer, Pride WA, the venues' own websites, Visit Perth, Travel Gay, misterb&b and Google Maps. They agree on a short list. Northbridge, the nightlife and Chinatown district across the railway line from the CBD, has the two gay venues, the sauna and a gin bar that calls itself proudly LGBTQIA+. Fremantle (Freo), 30 minutes away by train, has its own small queer bar. Beyond that, Perth's queer social life runs through groups: the bear club, an LGBTQ+ tennis club, running and choir groups, drag bingo nights in suburban pubs, and a lot of one-off parties.

Perth is also spread out. The beaches, Fremantle and many of the suburbs where drag nights happen need a train, bus or car, so plan your evenings around where you are staying.

Bars and clubs

The Court (50 Beaufort Street, on the corner of James Street) is the city's biggest LGBTQ+ venue and has been since the early 1990s. Behind the heritage pub front are several bars, a big courtyard beer garden and a dance floor. Drag is the core of the programme, with Drag Factory and a drag brunch, plus bingo and karaoke. Australian Venue Co bought the pub in 2023 and kept it LGBTQ+. Its website lists Wednesday noon to midnight, Thursday noon to 22:00, Friday noon to 02:00 and Saturday 15:00 to 02:00, closed Sunday to Tuesday.

Connections Nightclub (81 James Street), known as Connies, opened in 1975 and is Australia's longest-running gay nightclub. It turned 50 with a weekend party in December 2025 and is on the City of Perth heritage register. It opens Wednesday to Saturday from 20:00, until about 03:00 midweek and 05:00 at weekends, and it gets busy after midnight. The alt-queer party Cherry Bomb runs here. Its own website was offline when we checked; use its Facebook page for line-ups.

Frisk Small Bar (103 Francis Street) is a quiet gin bar with more than 180 gins, open since 2010. Visit Perth describes it as proudly LGBTQIA+. It is a good first drink before The Court, not a club, and it opens Thursday to Sunday.

In Fremantle, The Flaming Galah (19B Essex Street) opened in November 2022 as the port's first queer bar and is still the only one. Expect drag, karaoke, bingo and themed nights in a small, camp room. Google lists it open Wednesday to Sunday.

Sauna

Perth Steam Works (369 William Street, entrance on Forbes Road, Northbridge) is Perth's only gay sauna and has been open since 1996. It is men only apart from its all-genders FLUID! nights, and it has a steam room, dry sauna, spa, dark room, private rooms, a play area and a licensed café-bar. Its website lists noon to midnight Sunday to Thursday and noon to 04:00 on Friday and Saturday. Entry from 1 August 2026 is $35 Friday to Sunday, $32 Tuesday to Thursday and $25 for under-25s. There is an under-30s night on the second Tuesday of the month, and free HIV and STI testing runs weekly.

Beaches and beats

North Swanbourne Beach, about 20 minutes west of the CBD, is Perth's best-known clothing-optional beach and the one gay men use. The nude stretch is north of the Clothing Optional signs; the car park and the patrolled family beach to the south are not nude areas. There is no shade, so bring water and sun protection. Perth's other legal nude beach, Port Kennedy and Warnbro in the far south, is not known as a gay beach.

"Beat" is the Australian word for a public cruising area. Kings Park has a long history as one, but we couldn't confirm how active it is now, and we don't publish locations or times for beats. Public sex is an offence in Western Australia, and parks and dunes are patrolled. The legal option is Steam Works, or the apps.

Community groups

• Pride WA runs PrideFEST and backed Perth's winning bid for the 2030 Gay Games.
• WAAC (664 Murray Street, West Perth), formerly the WA AIDS Council, runs M Clinic at 20 Colin Street for STI and HIV testing and PrEP.
• Freedom Centre (Leederville) is WAAC's peer-run space for LGBTIQA+ young people.
• Bears Perth, founded in 1993, holds Den Nights at Loton Park on the second Saturday and fourth Friday of each month.
• Loton Park Tennis Club in East Perth is an LGBTQ+-run tennis club that welcomes visitors for social play.
• Living Proud runs QLife, the national LGBTIQ+ peer phone and chat line, in WA. Perth Pride Choir and Perth Frontrunners are worth a look if you are staying longer.

Pride and big events

PrideFEST is in November, not June. In 2026 Fairday is on Sunday 8 November at Moort-ak Waadiny / Wellington Square, its new home after Supreme Court Gardens, and the Pride Parade goes through Northbridge on the night of Saturday 28 November, with a free after-party at Russell Square and a ticketed street party at The Court. In 2025 the festival ran 21 to 30 November.

Other dates worth knowing: Fringe World, a mainstream arts festival with plenty of drag and cabaret, runs 20 January to 14 February 2027. The Perth Queer Film Festival is held in March (4 to 11 March in 2026; 2027 dates weren't announced at the time of writing). Bears Perth's Western Roundup takes over the WA King's Birthday long weekend in late September. And Perth will host Gay Games XIII in 2030, the second Gay Games in Australia after Sydney in 2002; dates and venues haven't been announced.



Where to stay

For nightlife, stay in Northbridge or on the north side of the CBD. The Alex Hotel is on James Street, a short walk from Connections, and The Great Southern Hotel on Robinson Avenue is within ten minutes' walk of The Court. Hotels south of the railway line on Hay Street and St Georges Terrace are 15 to 20 minutes on foot. There are no gay hotels in Perth; the ones we list are mainstream. If you mainly want Fremantle and the beaches, Freo is a calmer base, about 30 minutes from Northbridge by train.

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Getting around

Perth Airport (PER) is linked to the city by the Airport line, opened in October 2022, which takes about 20 minutes from Perth station to Airport Central (terminals 1 and 2); terminals 3 and 4 are reached from Redcliffe station. The free CAT buses loop the CBD and Northbridge, and Transperth trains run to Fremantle in about 30 minutes. For Swanbourne, take the Fremantle line to Swanbourne station and walk, or drive.



Practical tips

• Most bars are closed on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday to Saturday is when things happen, and Saturday is the big night.
• WA's sun is strong year-round. November, Pride month, is early summer: warm, dry and bright.
• Drag bingo and drag brunches are a big part of the scene and often happen in suburban pubs, so check event listings rather than assuming everything is in Northbridge.
• Free testing is easy to find: M Clinic in West Perth and the weekly sessions at Steam Works.

Closed or changed: gone but still Googled

• "Steamworks, Francis Street": an old listing with the wrong address. The sauna is Perth Steam Works on William Street.
• The ParQ Bar (East Victoria Park): an LGBTQ+ small bar that opened in January 2023 and closed about ten weeks later.
• Honey Lounge (Leederville): open March to November 2012.
• sKandalous: closed after about five months and reopened as a mixed venue.
• The 565 sauna: Perth's sauna before Steam Works; long gone.
• Feathers (Roe Street) and the Red Lion: part of Perth's gay history, no longer gay venues.
• Pink Rabbit club: a planned LGBTQIA+ members' club on Barrack Street that the City of Perth rejected in 2026; the owner said he would appeal. It is not open.
• Mantra on Murray is now the Oaks Perth Hotel, and the Aurea Hotel is now Mercure Perth Aurea Kings Park.



A few words

• Connies: Connections Nightclub.
• Freo: Fremantle. Swanny: Swanbourne Beach.
• Beat: a public cruising spot.
• Boorloo: the Noongar name for Perth, which you will see on PrideFEST and community events.
• Moort-ak Waadiny: the Noongar name for Wellington Square, the Fairday site.

At a glance

FAQ

What are the gay bars in Perth?

The Court on Beaufort Street and Connections Nightclub on James Street, both in Northbridge, are the two main ones. Frisk Small Bar nearby is a quieter LGBTQIA+ gin bar, and The Flaming Galah is Fremantle's queer bar.

Is there a gay sauna in Perth?

One: Perth Steam Works at 369 William Street, Northbridge, open daily from noon. Entry is $25 to $35 depending on the day and your age.

When is Perth Pride?

In November. In 2026 Fairday is on Sunday 8 November at Wellington Square and the Pride Parade is on Saturday 28 November in Northbridge.

Is Perth safe for LGBTQ+ travellers?

Yes, broadly. Same-sex couples are legally equal and rarely draw attention in the inner city. Use the usual late-night care in Northbridge at weekends, and remember that public sex in parks and dunes is an offence.

Last verified: November 2026.