Brisbane’s iconic Wickham Hotel has celebrated 135 years as a social and entertainment hub for the LGBTIQ community.
On Sunday, the beloved Fortitude Valley venue wrapped up a week-long party to mark the occasion.
The Wickham’s 135th anniversary was last year, but the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown meant it could not be celebrated at the time, and the venue team were keen to get together with the community to mark the milestone.
“We’re so excited to celebrate The Wickham’s rich history with our community,” venue manager Stuart Black told Pink Advocate.
“The Wickham has offered a space where so many people feel safe enough to be who they truly are and fly their rainbow flag with pride, and that’s reason enough alone to party all week long.
“Here’s to another 135 years of flashing rainbow lights, pride, and community!”
The week’s events kicked off with a live podcast in the Beer Garden on Monday evening.
More events during the week included drag shows, a special anniversary edition of the Vollie and Friends live talk show, and a trivia night.
Friday and Saturday nights featured performances by some of Brisbane’s favourite drag performers and DJs, before the weekend’s big party concluded with a classic Wickham Sunday Sesh.
The Wickham holds regular special events, including drag bingo and trivia, as well as some major items on Brisbane’s queer community calendar.
It is also home to LGBTIQ sporting and social groups.
This year’s Big Gay Day on Sunday 2 May will see the hotel and surrounding street once again transformed into a rainbow extravaganza of entertainment to raise funds for LGBTIQ+ charities.
Proceeds will be donated to the Queensland Council for LGBTI Health, Australian Transgender Support Association Queensland, Brisbane Pride, Open Doors Youth Service, LGBTI Legal Service, and QLife.
More details and tickets will be available soon.
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