Where you go for a good night out depends on your scene – and in Sydney everyone has a scene. Gay Sydney is generally found along Oxford Street in Darlinghurst or in Newtown. The best of Sydney’s famous drag shows can be found at Imperial Hotel (35 Erskineville Road, Erskineville, +61295199899), Arq (16 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst +61293808700), The Stonewall Hotel (175 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, +61293601963) and The Midnight Shift (85 Oxford Street, Paddington, +61293604319). The latter is also good for dancing with your shirt off, as is Arq upstairs (see above).

Sydney’s biggest and most popular mixed nightclub is Home (Tenancy 101, Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Park, +61292660600), housed in a space-age building in Darling Harbour and always plagued with long queues. Further along the waterfront Cargo Bar/Lounge (52-60 The Promenade, King Street Wharf, +61292621777) offers funky house music to a glamour crowd.

For live music there’s the Basement (29 Reiby Place, Circular Quay, +61292512797), featuring jazz, world music and international acts, the Hopetoun Hotel (416 Bourke Street, Surry Hills, +61293615257), a traditional inner-city rock venue, and the Cat & Fiddle Hotel (456 Darling Street, Balmain, +61298107931), a seasoned home to folk, pop and a bit of bush music.

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