今日吃瓜

Sydney鈥檚 iconic LGBTQIA+ nightclub ARQ Sydney is set to reopen from the June Long Weekend, after the venue鈥檚 most recent incarnation, Aura, fell into administration.

In a statement posted to Instagram over the weekend, the beloved gay club .

鈥淲e鈥檙e pleased to confirm the venue will reopen from the June Long Weekend under new management,鈥� the post read.

鈥淲e鈥檙e currently working behind the scenes on the next chapter of the venue and will be sharing more details very soon.鈥�

The announcement follows a tumultuous week for the venue, after confirmed Movement Entertainment Pty Ltd 鈥� trading as Aura nightclub Sydney 鈥� had entered administration.

Staff were reportedly sent termination letters after Movement Entertainment ceased operations.

Aura had only launched last year after ARQ closed its doors and underwent a controversial rebrand.

Gay Sydney Daily that the building鈥檚 owner, Shadd Danesi, had been handed back the keys to the venue and was 鈥渓ooking to breathe new life into the nightclub鈥�.

GSD also reports that unnamed sources said that three separate groups had reportedly bid to take over the lease, though it remains unclear which group was ultimately successful.

The rebirth of beloved gay club ARQ Sydney

For more than two decades, ARQ occupied a central place in Sydney LGBTQIA+ nightlife culture. Since opening in 1999, the Flinders Street club became synonymous with Mardi Gras afterparties, sweaty dancefloors, drag performances, late-night hookups, and generations of queer people finding friendship, freedom and community under its lights.

When the venue closed last year to make way for Aura, the announcement sparked strong reactions across the community. Some welcomed the promise of a refreshed and nightlife venue which promoted itself as “inclusive”, while others mourned the apparent loss of a longstanding queer institution, with 鈥� at the time 鈥� no confirmation that LGBTQIA+ nights and companies would be prioritised by Aura.

Before the transition, ARQ held multiple farewell parties packed with longtime patrons, DJs and performers paying tribute to the venue鈥檚 legacy on Oxford Street.

The venue鈥檚 reopening also means major events already scheduled for the June Long Weekend 鈥� including Thick 鈥楴鈥� Juicy and House of Mince parties 鈥� are expected to proceed as planned.

At this stage, no further details have been released.