Hold on to your boas, babes, because MELT is back! The annual open-access festival curated by the Brisbane Powerhouse since 2015 has now solidified its place on Brisbane’s must-do calendar. What’s on the agenda? What are the tips for visitors and locals alike when coming to Brisbane for MELT?
Diversity of events
The festival offers more than 120 events in 2025. Key highlights of this year include an appearance by the iconic Broadway and film/TV star Bernadette Peters, which will make any showtune-loving punter scream for joy. Still, if you can’t get enough, the iconic Club Broadway is making a return to Brisbane as well.
Indigenous representation is in full glam at the Miss First Nation Pageant, and you can laugh along with global icon Urzula Carlson.
In the suburb of Logan (located partway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast), you will also find queer pride festival, Loud and Proud Logan. To top it all off, the annual Pride River Parade on the Brisbane River is fun on the water and on the banks of the river.
Getting around
Brisbane offers affordable public transport, except for the Airtrain. Standard fares are only 50c per trip, and it connects the majority of areas you will want to visit, such as central Brisbane, South Brisbane, Logan, and, of course, Fortitude Valley.
Pro Tip: Use the Translink App for planning – station or drop-off locations can differ in name from where they actually are, for example, heading to QPAC. Get off at South Brisbane station, not Southbank, and you won’t look like a Brisbane virgin.
Cool down from Melt
You can’t stay here, but you don’t have to go home.
After the events, head to one of the many LGBTQIA+ venues to wet your whistle and grab a nosh.
Spanning two main queer areas of Brisbane, the stalwart location of Fortitude Valley features venues like The Wickham. The Beat and nearby Sportsman, as well as Brisbane’s West End, including the new fabulous venue Come to Daddy.
Open up your planners, because you’ll definitely want to head to the Sunshine State for the most camp and queer celebrations Australia has to offer.
22 OCT – 09 NOV 2025
PRICES VARY ACCORDING TO EVENT.
The Brisbane Powerhouse curates MELT.
Rob is the founder of GTG. Launching the GTG-Sydney brand in 1995, it has gone from a VHS tourist guide for Sydney to a global phenomenon, partnering with Pride events and special events and charities all over the world, raising millions of dollars for the LGBTQIA+ communities and showcasing our big gay world to anyone who wants to join in the fun.
Rob is a trained marketer and journalist. An Emmy award winner, a NIDA-trained TV Presenter who has been on digital channels, cable and terrestrial broadcast television globally as a presenter, producer and creative.
He is currently editor-in-chief and producer of GTG and the co-host of The Unfashionably Late Podcast.