Or Brissie, or Brisvegas, if you’re a local. I was a local for many years, albeit some years back, hence I can write with some insight about the scene there, or lack thereof (Brisbane is often referred to among us lot who have lived there as a big country town – perhaps that is changing, perhaps not).

Brisbane is a great place to visit, especially if you’re wanting to use it as a base to visit the Gold Coast (south), the Sunshine Coast (north), or some country towns (west) (there is not much in close proximity east except for water). So, with that said, let’s nose dive into the gay places on offer.

Accommodation: if you’re happy staying in an Airbnb (of which there is ample choice – though there are no hotels I’m aware of there) then I would recommend staying in the suburb of New Farm. This is basically the key residential suburb of Brisbane’s gay population. And though there are no set gay venues (New Farm park used to operate as a beat but that can’t really be said of it anymore), you might find a few faces smiling at you if you go to the shops, restaurants, walkways etc there. It is very centrally located, with buses and city cats quickly getting you into the city centre and other appealing suburbs.

Next up: the only sauna for men interested in other men is called Wet. There used to be one called Bodyline but it is now closed (apparently there’s a photocopy shop on that premises now – which leads to some startled faces of men who walk through the door expecting a different kind of business operating there) – perhaps that means there’s room for investment in a new sauna. But back to Wet: it’s a good sauna. There are many private rooms, a dark zone amidst some cruising corridors, a glory hole or two, a porn lounge area, a Finnish sauna that looks onto the jacuzzi, some of the showers, and the steps coming down (upstairs is just the normal TV lounge, the lockers, the cafeteria and the entrance/exit). Wet also has a swimming pool that’s big enough to do laps in and – insider tip – there are some private rooms on that end of the sauna that are a bit more secluded than the rest. At the time of writing this post, the entry fee is $27. They have ‘towel free Tuesdays’ (free sexual health tests are also available on Tuesdays). It can get busy throughout the week but weekends (especially Sundays) are busiest. They are open from 11am – 11pm seven days a week and located within walking distance from The Valley – a suburb where a lot of Brisbane’s nightlife is centered, including the next two places listed.

The Wickham: this is a large gay bar located on Wickham street in The Valley. The Wickham’s hey day is, in the opinion of myself and many others, behind it. But it is still a gay bar, with a decent restaurant on one side of it. There is no cruising or anything in this bar, but there is a nice lounge area (it was better when that was a dance floor, but that’s alright), a pokies room, and an outdoor area on the opposite side from the restaurant. The architectural side of things is very typical of the state of Queensland within which it’s located, so that’s a plus. It could be worth a visit for you, but I still prefer Sporties by way of bars (written about further below).

The Beat – a gay/gay friendly night club located just a stone’s throw from The Wickham. The Beat attracts a mainly younger crowd, but there is a bit of a mix – I had a good kiss from a guy around the age of 80 there once for example, but people of that age group don’t frequent this club very often. Insider tip: if you do come here, there is no entry fee until 10pm. The reason for that though is that there are less people at that time – but that also means less shrieking people carrying on – so it’s up to you to decide what takes your fancy, but personally if I ever go I prefer to arrive before 10pm. On weekends this club stays open until 5am. There are many rooms each with its own music/dance floor and bar and some nice outdoor areas spread over the two floors. There is no cruising area on site. The Beat is conveniently located in the heart of The Valley.

Sporties: officially known as The Sportsman hotel, this is the better bar to go to if you want to meet more mature-aged men. There is still a bit of a mix in ages, but I find there to be more oldies here than in other places. This bar is not huge, but big enough for three pool tables in it in a bar area on one side, and a restaurant with another bar on the other side, where they sometimes perform drag shows if that’s your thing. Downstairs there is a men-only room. That may sound a bit raunchy, and perhaps it is when they host events (e.g. bears night), but on the sole occasion I went down there was just karaoke with comically tacky decorations and minimal spectators, which in its own way was likeable. The outdoor/smoking area is also nice, as it looks onto the main road and provides a certain type of nice ambience (it’s not quite the sound of the sea – but it’s the inner-city’s best answer to that). Sporties is best accessible with a taxi/car ride app. Located in the suburb of Spring Hill, it is not far by car from the city centre or The Valley, and therefore shouldn’t cost much. When I last took a taxi from The Wickham to Sporties for example, on a Saturday night, it cost $10. For economic context: that was roughly a decade ago. Sporties is open every day except Mondays, from 1pm till late. The busiest time is unsurprisingly the weekend, but you can see a few nice faces (and bodies) throughout the week there also. It is my favourite gay bar to go to in Brisbane and certainly my top recommendation in that regard. Do let me know about your experiences there in the comments below.

Next up: Fluffy. Sound like a good name for a gay night at an otherwise straight venue? The gays really take the place over on that night, and the day in your calendar is Sunday. I have just discovered on their website that Fluffy now takes place in a place called Cloudland – which has quite an amazing interior to it (indoor waterfalls and whatever else). Apparently they still host bigger events at a nightclub called Family, which is where I have attended the weekly event; it is a very big night club over two floors. Both this location and the one mentioned below are just 1-2 blocks from The Beat nightclub, hence very easy to access. Shows are often included in the nightly program.

Last but not least is the sole cruising bar in Brisbane – Club 29. I do have to write about this the least, as I have only been there once, lured in by a hot chap I found at the aforementioned club! Due to circumstance, I therefore didn’t explore the whole club, but it appeared typical enough for a cruising club to me – pretty dark, enough private rooms, etc. This club is located very close to the aforementioned night club venues, which again is not far (a short walk) from The Wickham, for convenience.

I hope this helps you enjoy Brisbane, if you decide to go. Feel free to write any comments, anonymously or not, below about your impressions there if you do go.

All the best!