EXCLUSIVE: Sydney’s Stonewall Hotel Is Opening New ‘Stonewall Newtown’ Venue

Sydney’s iconic Stonewall Hotel is expanding, with the beloved LGBTQIA+ venue announcing it will open a second location in Newtown.

Simply dubbed Stonewall Newtown, the new venue has been teased as a creative hub celebrating the Inner West’s artistic edge, with a strong focus on live performance and community unity.

In an exclusive statement to Star Observer, Stonewall says the new venue will showcase drag, cabaret, live music and queer performance, while supporting both emerging and established artists, and positioning itself as a vibrant, inclusive space centred on self-expression.

While the exact location in Newtown is yet to be revealed, Stonewall’s Promotions and Marketing Manager Glenn Hansen says more details will be announced very soon – but Star Observer has spotted the Stonewall team toward the northern end of King Street.

“Newtown is sort of the brother or sister of Oxford Street. It’s got a great restaurant scene and nightclub scene,” Hansen said. “It was just one of the places that we’d like to be.

“We want to listen to the creatives, listen to the people of Newtown, the Inner West, and hopefully bring something fabulous that’s still got a Stonewall feel to it. We definitely want to listen to the people and try to give them what Newtown wants under the Stonewall brand.”

Stonewall has long been a cornerstone of queer nightlife on Oxford Street, and its move into the Inner West reflects both the evolving geography of Sydney’s queer scene and the ongoing – if not increasing – appetite for dedicated and inclusive LGBTQIA+ spaces.

“I think people are waiting for the development of Oxford Street, to see what it brings. With so many places closing down at the moment, like Claire’s Kitchen, the Bookshop, Aussie Boys, it’s hard waiting for the development to happen to see how it will reinvent Oxford Street,” Hansen said.

The announcement also comes at a time of transition for the venue. Late last year, Stonewall Hotel confirmed the venue had been acquired by a US-based hospitality company, Pride Holdings Group. At the time, management confirmed that Stonewall’s staff, programming and commitment to the community would remain intact.

Stonewall Newtown, organisers say, will carry that legacy — with “many stages, all pride” — into one of modern Sydney’s most proudly queer neighbourhoods.

Stonewall Hotel: A cornerstone of Sydney’s LGBTQ+ history

Stonewall first opened its doors in 1993, quickly establishing itself as a vital safe space for Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ community during a period when visibility was still hard-won.

Over more than three decades, it has become synonymous with late-night dance floors and landmark moments in queer nightlife.

The venue has played host to countless drag performers who went on to national and international recognition, and its central role on Oxford Street has also seen it become a gathering point during Mardi Gras, protests, memorial, and celebrations.

“It’s exciting to have another Stonewall and make it more about the inner west. We wanted to
be part of the scene out there as well,” Hansen said.

“We’re still sort of working out the programming, and that might change as we go along, but we wanted to reflect what we think Newtown wants, what Newtown enjoys, and mixing that with what people like about Stonewall here.

“Obviously, we love to push things forward for Mardi Gras, but can be hard trying to get something up in a short time, but we’ll do the best we can.”