Sydney's Halloween Is a Three-Night Haunt
The entire city goes out on Saturday, so you'll have to choose between a colossal costume ball and a half-dozen others. Then it's a question of whether you can make it to the rooftop for sunrise on Sunday.
Halloween isn't just one night, it's a test of endurance. And this year, everything is orbiting Saturday.
Go on, Continue reading the guideThat's enough for now
The centre of gravity is 
Poof Doof's Halloqween Ball (opens in a new tab) at 
ivy (opens in a new tab), which will be exactly as enormous as you'd expect. But that's just the main stage. You've got choices for where you spend the big one, from huge international headliners to proper underground raves, plus a whole constellation of parties on Friday and Sunday to round out the haunting. Plan accordingly.
Saturday Is a Showdown
Right, Saturday. You've got to make a call. The Poof Doof lot are taking over the entire ivy complex for their Halloqween Ball, and it's where you'll find half the gays in Sydney in their most ambitious, least practical costumes. It's the biggest, most obvious choice for a reason. Just be ready for that queue β it tends to develop its own personality around midnight. Get there early or late, never on time.
If you want something with a bit more techno muscle, 
GAYM Entertainment (opens in a new tab) is running HALLOYOU (opens in a new tab) at 
ARQ (opens in a new tab) with two international headliners. It's a bit pricier but it's also scheduled to run for a full eight hours, so you'll want to pace yourself. And for the real heads, 
House of Mince (opens in a new tab) are doing MINCE XXX (opens in a new tab). The location is still a secret, which is how you know it'll be good. It's the party for people who care more about the BPM than the costume contest.
And if you don't want a massive rave at all, 
TRIBE (opens in a new tab) is throwing a 'Dark Ritual' at their own digs, 
TRIBE at 231 (opens in a new tab), which is a full venue takeover. Or there's always 
Dance Floor Monsters (opens in a new tab) at 
Palms (opens in a new tab) for some throwback pop in a room that never changes. Which is its own kind of comfort.
The Afters, and the After-Afters
Saturday night doesn't end until Sunday afternoon. If you've still got it in you, the place to be is Morning Glory (opens in a new tab) at 
Home (opens in a new tab). It kicks off at 3am, so you can roll straight there from wherever you end up. This is one of GAYM's best parties, mostly because that rooftop terrace at sunrise is a spiritual experience. The state you'll see people in is also an experience.
For a more civilised end to the weekend, Special K (opens in a new tab) is running a free day party at 
ROUGE (opens in a new tab) from 2pm. It's a much softer landing. Cocktails, cabaret, and a chance to sit down. You might even see someone you met twelve hours earlier, except now they're wearing sunglasses and moving very, very slowly. A nice, gentle comedown before you have to face Monday.
A Gentle Start, Or Not
You don't have to go into Saturday cold. Friday offers a couple of ways to warm up. For a genuinely lovely time, 
Twenty10 (opens in a new tab) is putting on its free Spooky Ball (opens in a new tab) for LGBTIQA+ youth in Newtown. It's an early one, 5pm to 9pm, and it's all about the dancing and community vibes. A wholesome beginning.
Or you can just skip wholesome entirely and go straight to 
BARBA (opens in a new tab)'s dungeon adventure at Trough X (opens in a new tab). The theme is 'bondage meets fantasy', which should tell you everything you need to know. It's dark, it's sweaty, and it's the perfect way to start your Halloween with bad intentions. This is the one for the freaks and pigs, as they say themselves β it's a very specific room, and you know if it's for you.