Melbourne, Get Your Kink On: Northside Bizarre Is Back This Weekend
Image: Photos: Dean Arcuri / Star Observer.
Northside Bizarre returns to Abbotsford this Saturday, bringing an afternoon of queer kink, market shopping, performances and fundraising to The Laird Hotel, Masonic Hall and Henry Street.
Whether you’re a regular with a wardrobe full of leather or a curious newcomer, there’s plenty to get amongst.
Founded in 2011 in partnership with The Laird and Thorne Harbour Health, Northside Bizarre celebrates Melbourne’s kink and fetish community while raising funds for LGBTQIA+ health and HIV services.
Fifteen years later, the event remains a fixture of Melbourne’s queer calendar, with community care at its heart. And that care really adds up ❤️
Thorne Harbour says Northside Bizarre raised more than $40,000 in 2025, supporting its services, including the David Williams Fund for people living with HIV. Behind the cheeky entertainment and excellent excuses to go shopping, is a fundraiser that delivers practical support for our community.
“It’s a fundraiser, first and foremost,” says Thorne Harbour Health’s Cal Hawk, who also highlights how the event successfully brings different community groups together.
“There’s simply nothing else like it.”
A Little Leather, A Little Treasure
Henry Street transforms into the Alley Marketplace, where queer and/or kink businesses can sell their goods and introduce visitors to their services. The marketplace has attracted more than 2,300 community members, making it a busy meeting point for people who might otherwise spend their weekends in quite different corners of Melbourne’s queer scene.
There’s room to browse, chat to the people behind the stalls, catch up with mates and discover something you didn’t know you needed.
Marketplace stallholders include Eagle Leather, Queer Records, Sugar Plump Fairy, Positive Living Centre Artist Collective, and more.
For bargain hunters and those who know just how expenno leather can get, Leather & Treasure offers donated gear a second life. Organisers recommend arriving before the noon opening, with limited stock and a queue arranged for early shoppers.
The auctions offer another way to shop while contributing, with more than 100 donations from over 70 businesses and individuals ready for you to bid on.
Bidding sessions run at 1pm, 2.30pm, 4pm and 5.30pm.
Come Hungry, Stay For The Show
The Master Baker competition sees LGBTQIA+ sporting clubs selling baked treats for a $3 donation per piece, with winners announced at 3.30pm. VicBears’ BearBQ serves sausages until 4pm.
An Acknowledgement of Country takes place at 12.05pm, followed by stage entertainment from 12.10pm. Performances and kink demonstrations continue through the afternoon, with donation tips contributing to the fundraiser.
The Femme Bar provides a dedicated social space for women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender people. Melbourne Motorcycle Tourers run the cloakroom and ID station, where attendees can collect the 18+ wristband required to buy drinks outside.
Oh, and this year Thorne Harbour is selling limited edition leather fans! You have the choice of taking a bingo card and ticking off quests to get the fan for $20, or skipping the glorious leather quest, and pay $25.
I went for the first time last year, and can honestly say it was absolutely glorious day – had a couple of beers, spent an arvo browsing fetish gear, ate a bunch of sausages (not a metaphor sadly), and I saw what the inside of The Laird looks like for the first time (during this annual LGBTQIA+ block party and fundraiser, The usually men-only Laird explicitly throws open its doors to all genders).
Fifteen years after its beginnings, Northside Bizarre continues to give that community connection a place to happen.
Northside Bizarre runs this Saturday, 10 October 2026, from 12pm–7pm at The Laird Hotel, Masonic Hall and Henry Street, Abbotsford.
Entry is free. The Alley Bar closes at 6.30pm – after the street event finishes, the party continues inside The Laird.
Check Thorne Harbour Health’s on-the-day guide for the map and full program.
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