Southern Highlands Queer Nightlife Guide 2025: Where to Go & What to Expect

Sweet Release
Sep 16
2 min read

Introduction

The queer nightlife scene in the Southern Highlands is thriving like never before. While the region might not have the neon strip of Oxford Street in Sydney, it’s carving out its own unique brand of entertainment - one rooted in community, creativity, and a flair for the fabulous. Whether you’re chasing drag, cabaret, or simply a friendly venue for a night out, here’s your essential guide to queer nightlife in 2025.

Inclusive Venues

The Southern Highlands now boasts a strong network of LGBTQ+ friendly venues hosting events, shows, and socials. Key hotspots include:

The Royal Hotel Bowral is a central, welcoming pub increasingly home to drag queen bingo, live music on weekends and every day, inclusive hospitality.
Bundanoon Hotel is famous for hosting Cabaret Dinner Shows, Live Music, Trivia, Mardi Gras Parties and Drag Queen Bingo (starring Kara Zmatiq) in a grand country hotel setting.
Highlands Hotel Mittagong is a community favourite venue that has embraced drag, cabaret, and LGBTQ+ events recently in partnership with Soiree Cabaret Productions, hosting Christmas in July Dinner Shows, Trivia, Carnival Spring Burlesque Evenings, DJs and Drag Queen Bingo.
Hide Out Bar & Grill (Mittagong & Goulburn) offering an intimate setting to enjoy traditional Tex-Mex cuisine and outrageous cocktails in an inclusive space that champions diversity and inclusivity in the Southern Highlands, hosting Halloween Themed Events, Mardi Gras Parties, Pride Month Events and more, across two regional venue locations.
Berrima Vault House has been known to host Mardi Gras parties over the past four years; however, now under new management, we are waiting to see if Citizen Kainbridge will follow in the inclusive steps of its former owners.
Artemis Wines (Live on the Lawn Sundays) relaxed outdoor vibes with drag and live music.

Pride & Festival Events

The Highlands is also seeing an uptick in one-off queer festivals and Pride-style events. In 2025, expect:

Seasonal drag brunches at boutique venues.
LGBTQI+ entertainment tied to Tulip Time Festival.
Community-run LGBTQ+ socials across Moss Vale, Bowral, and Mittagong.

What to Expect

Unlike the anonymity of city nightlife, the queer scene in the Highlands is intimate and familiar. You’ll likely bump into the same faces across multiple events, creating an atmosphere of camaraderie, not competition. And while the scale may be smaller, the creativity is just as bold: fire twirlers, aerialists, and burlesque stars are just as likely to appear here as in any major city.

Conclusion

The Southern Highlands queer nightlife scene is evolving rapidly. With a growing calendar of drag, cabaret, and Pride-style events, it’s becoming one of the most exciting regional hubs for LGBTQ+ entertainment in NSW. If you’re looking for unforgettable nights without the city commute, the Southern Highlands is where you’ll want to be in 2025 and beyond and here at The Real Homosexuals Of The Southern Highlands, we are also rolling out seasonal events and members-only networking events to bring our LGBTQI+ community and allies together.