Stonewall is more than a bar — it’s a stage, a sanctuary, and the heartbeat of Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ community.
Our story
For nearly three decades, Stonewall has been more than a bar.
It has been a stage, a sanctuary, and a heartbeat of Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ community.
Established in 1997 at 175 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, the Stonewall Hotel transformed a historic 1880s bank building into something far more valuable than money could buy a place of belonging. Named in honour of the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York, the uprising that ignited the modern Gay Liberation movement, the venue carried a name rooted in courage, protest, and pride.
From the moment its doors opened, Stonewall became part of Sydney’s queer identity.
Across three vibrant levels, from the buzzing Public Bar to the glamorous Cocktail Lounge, VIP spaces, and the beloved DIVA Bar , generations gathered to celebrate freedom, friendship, and self-expression. Drag queens became legends, DJs created dancefloor memories, and performers found a home where creativity thrived.
The venue quickly grew into one of Australia’s most recognised LGBTQIA+ destinations. Visitors from around the world stepped through its doors during Sydney Mardi Gras, discovering a space where everyone was welcome exactly as they were.
But Stonewall was never just nightlife.
It was community.
Over 28 years, Stonewall supported countless charities and organisations including ACON and the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, raising funds, awareness, and spirits. It provided a safe space during times of celebration and challenge alike, a place where people met lifelong friends, found chosen family, and sometimes even discovered themselves for the first time.
For many, Stonewall wasn’t simply somewhere you went out.
It was somewhere you belonged.
Stonewall Hotel on Oxford Street
Stonewall Newtown’s ground floor bar
A New Chapter — 2026
In March 2026, after decades as a cornerstone of Oxford Street, Stonewall closed its historic doors — marking the end of an era, but not the end of the story.
Because Stonewall has never been defined by bricks or a postcode.
It is defined by people.
Now, the spirit of Stonewall begins again in Sydney’s Inner West with the opening of Stonewall Newtown , a bold new home built for a new generation while honouring the legacy that came before.
Newtown, long celebrated for its diversity, creativity, and inclusivity, becomes the natural next chapter for a venue born from activism, expression, and community connection.
Stonewall Newtown carries forward everything that made the original iconic:
Drag and performance
Music and dance
Safe spaces and chosen family
Celebration of LGBTQIA+ culture
Community first, always
While the address may change, the mission remains the same, to create a space where everyone can feel seen, celebrated, and free.
