Bear World Guide to: Melbourne

12th June 2025 Luka Musicki

There are a lot of things that you can do and see while you are visiting Melbourne.

We’re passionate about supporting and promoting queer businesses in your local areas. Whether you live there or are just visiting, check out our guide to queer-owned or queer-friendly businesses in and around Melbourne.

Check them out, head to their websites, and follow their social media.
To get listed here, contact us at bwmguides@grayjonesmedia.com.

Bear Kindred Group

VicBears

The VicBears are a social club for male or male-identifying individuals of all shapes in Melbourne and Victoria. They have two major events, Southern Hibernation that occurs in early-June for two weeks (which includes the Australasian Bear Competition), and the BearFest in Mid-January for two weeks. They have Aquabeas (Richmond Recreation Centre) and Bears Be Eating on the first Sunday.
The VicBears meet together at the Laird and other places. Check out their calendar for upcoming events so you do not miss out: https://vicbears.org.au/Events-Calendar
Website: https://vicbears.org.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VicBearsInc/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vicbearsinc/?hl=en

Bars/Pubs

The Laird

The Laird is a male-only hotel in Melbourne, Australia, specifically known for its gay and leather-centric atmosphere. The hotel has a long history in Melbourne, especially in the gay community. In 1998, The Laird Hotel successfully petitioned to become the only men-only hotel in Victoria, demonstrating its importance to the gay community. It offers various rooms, including standard rooms and en-suite, and a basic breakfast in a shared kitchen. The hotel hosts multiple events, including the popular “Popsicle” pop music party and “Vice” which caters to men of leather, rubber, and uniform. The hotel is known for its comfortable, friendly, and welcoming atmosphere, particularly for the gay community.
Other events include: Bruno, Spit and Polish, Mooning, Men on Men Art Exhibition, A Week of Leather, Northside Bizarre, Alliance, Club Cruise, Sunday Socials, Sing Stud, Leatherman Competitions, and Trivia Hirsute, and many more! The Laird is home for all.
The VicBears meet at the Laird as their home base for bear events like Southern Hibernation.
Website: https://www.lairdhotel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lairdmelbourne
Book Accommodation: https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g3331148-d1988692-Reviews-The_Laird_Hotel-Abbotsford_Yarra_Greater_Melbourne_Victoria.html

Leather Clothing and Adult Toy Store

Eagle Leather

Eagle Leather provides a range of leather goods, including harness, jocks and kilts. They also stock adult toys like dildos, lubes, condoms, and cleaning kits (for after you’ve had some fun). They also facilitate workshops and parties like Hanky party, BDSM play and male sex parties.

Eagle Leather is a proud sponsors for the Mr Bear Competitions to occur across Australia.

Located: 80 Hoddle Street, Abbotsford, Victoria, 3067

Website: https://www.eagleleather.com.au/

Clothing Store

Sugar Plump Fairy

Bears, cubs, queers, bellies and fat bottomed babes make our world go round. The MO behind most of our designs is to help you flirt better and harder in the real world – we want to help you find people you click with. We want you to get laid 🙂
What we choose to wear says something about us, whether that be to be seen or to blend in – it’s no surprise to say that we want people to get noticed. And sure, not every t-shirt design is for everyone, but if just one becomes your new favourite tee…. well that’s a total win for us.

Currently, we stock tees and other apparel in sizes Small – 5XL, where available.
Sugar Plump Fairy is operated out of Melbourne Australia by Gerard Frank Long, and the company engages smaller and more innovative businesses with strong social & eco-responsibility policies to manufacture, print, pack, parcel and send goods. Gerard also moonlights as a DJ under the same name, and has been running gay-ass discos for Every Body for 10 years (right now, Bruno Disco). He is currently in his Dad Era and not hating it.
Follow them on Instagram: sugarplumpfairyhq.

He has an interview article: https://bearworldmag.com/dj-t-shirt-designer-idiot-meet-sugar-plump-fairy/

Website: https://sugarplumpfairy.com/

Sexual Health Services

Thorne Harbour Health

Thorne Harbour Health was formed in 1983 (initially as the Victorian AIDS Action Committee and later the Victorian AIDS Council) as a central part of the Victorian community response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Thorne Harbour Health continues to lead the response by providing a range of services which include prevention education, treatment and care of PLHIV and counselling services. We continue to evolve in response to the epidemic with robust business systems and an ever-changing strategic response and continuing dedication to our vision and service philosophy. This evolution has come to include a broadening of our portfolio to serve the health needs of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) communities to ensure all gender, sex, and sexually diverse individuals are treated with dignity and can participate fully in society.

Website: https://thorneharbour.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thorneharbour/

Radio

JOY Media FM

As Australia’s not-for-profit LGBTIQA+ media organisation, JOY Media represents the people, stories, news, music, and lived experiences of Australia’s LGBTIQA+ community and our allies.
Powered by 200+ volunteers and led by a small leadership team, JOY’s content makers inform, empower, entertain audiences globally by delivering quality community media, every hour, every day of the year. Their organisation is built on three key pillars – content, training and events. These are better known as JOY 94.9, JOY Academy and JOY Gigs.
Through each of these services and content offerings, we carry out our purpose of building a more inclusive Australia for all. They do this by providing the opportunity for freedom of expression, the breaking down of isolation and the celebration of the culture, achievements and pride of the diverse rainbow community. Growing from our inception as a community radio station 3JOY in 1993, JOY Media now provides content across multiple platforms to enable the voices of our community to be accessible to people of all abilities and locations.

From our on-air presenters, to our support teams, producers, newsreaders, podcasters and everyone in-between we aim to represent our listeners because we are them.  You can hear and see stories from the LGBTIQA+ community and their allies on JOY 94.9 Radio (FM and DAB+), online at joy.org.au via livestream, in our podcasts, YouTube channel and on social media.
Bear radio personalities include: Dean Arcuri, Henry Rocek, Tim Little. Both Dean and Tim are one of the main producers on JOY Media FM.

Website: https://joy.org.au/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JOY949/

Festivals

Midsumma

Midsumma is Australia’s premier queer arts and cultural organisation, bringing together a diverse mix of LGBTQIA+ artists, performers, communities and audiences. Our primary event, Midsumma Festival, usually runs over 22 days in Melbourne’s summer (January/February) each year with an explosion of queer events that centre around hidden and mainstream queer culture, involving local, interstate, and international artists.
Website: https://www.midsumma.org.au/

ChillOut Festival

ChillOut Festival is Australia’s premier regional LGBTQIA+ pride event, held annually in Daylesford, Victoria — over the Labour Day long weekend in March. From humble beginnings in 1997, ChillOut Festival has grown to become Australia’s largest and longest running queer country pride festival. Attracting over 30K+ visitorsto the region across the festival weekend.

Website: https://chilloutfestival.au/

Wet on Wellington