January in Melbourne means one thing: Midsumma is back, and this year it's bringing tropical heat to The Timber Yard.
Hot and Steamy is trading Far North Queensland humidity for Melbourne’s beachside warehouse energy, bringing its beloved LGBTQIA+ celebration to Melbourne for the first time. The festival lands at The Timber Yard on 25 January 2026 as part of Midsumma Festival, and it’s bringing every ounce of its tropical party reputation with it.
Originally launched in Port Douglas, Hot and Steamy has spent years perfecting the art of queer celebration wrapped in palm fronds and glitter. Think drag superstars, international DJs spinning until your feet hurt, and enough costume creativity to make your algorithm explode. Festival founder Jason Penrose reckons Melbourne is the perfect home for the festival’s next chapter, a city where queer culture doesn’t just exist but absolutely thrives.
“Hot and Steamy has always been about connection,” festival founder Jason Penrose says. “Melbourne offers the perfect home for our next chapter – a place where diversity thrives and creativity always takes centre stage. We are creating a world where every person can freely celebrate their authentic self in a joyful, vibrant community, united by music, performance, and love.”
Hot and Steamy
- Sunday 25 January 2026, 2pm-11pm
- The Timber Yard, Melbourne
- Tickets available at hotsteamy.com.au
- Part of Midsumma Festival
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
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From tropical paradise to urban playground
Australia’s reigning drag royalty Kween Kong takes the main stage, fresh off international tours and acclaimed performances that have made her one of the most recognisable names in the scene. She’s slayed TV screens, stages and hearts around the world, and now she’s bringing that magnetic energy to The Timber Yard for the festival’s Melbourne debut.
The DJ roster reads like a wishlist of queer dance music royalty. Melbourne’s own Emerald Jones kicks things off with funky house, disco and electro grooves that’ll ease everyone into the tropical paradise vibe. New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based Jesse Boyd brings bold, groovy basslines in house, tech and minimal that hit with serious impact.
Perth’s Kayty Banks represents the west coast queer nightlife scene, smashing open-format chaos with high-energy bops and the kind of unapologetic joy that makes dance floors feel like safe spaces. UK-born Kelly Tee delivers supercharged disco-funk bombs and vocal house with Euro-infused energy that’s pure high-camp excellence.
Gold Coast’s Ney Like a Horse fuses house, techno and Afro-Latin rhythms into chaotic, crowd-captivating sets with a strong focus on queer celebration. Brazilian DJ superstar Salomigs brings his international credentials to Melbourne, mixing baile funk beats with tech house in a style that’s earned him the title of your favourite DJ’s favourite DJ during his I Love to Tour world tour.
Topping the bill is Super Disco Club, the disco-house royalty duo featuring Andy Van of Madison Avenue fame and singer-songwriter Cassie Van. Expect euphoric anthems and 80s and 90s club bangers that turn every moment into pure glitter-dusted nostalgia.
The Gay Stuff Market takes over
Running alongside the main festival action is the Gay Stuff Market, and it’s bringing LGBTQIA+ artists and makers to the party. This isn’t your standard craft market situation. We’re talking fashion that’ll turn heads on Smith Street, vintage treasures that somehow escaped every other picker in Melbourne, handmade accessories, art that belongs on gallery walls, homewares that’ll make your rental feel less depressing, books from queer authors and publishers, and yes, pleasure products for those who like to shop with intention.
The marketplace celebrates queer creativity in every possible form, from the subtle to the absolutely outrageous. It’s the kind of place where you can spend an hour chatting to an artist about their process, then walk away with something completely unique that none of your friends will own. Supporting LGBTQIA+ creatives while finding the perfect outfit for the main stage? That’s multitasking done right.
More than just a party
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The festival creates space where self-expression isn’t just accepted but actively celebrated, loudly and without apology. The Timber Yard location works perfectly for the festival’s ambitions. It’s accessible via public transport, offers both indoor and outdoor spaces for different vibes throughout the day, and has enough room for the festival to really stretch out.
Melbourne’s queer festival calendar keeps expanding, and Hot and Steamy carves out its own identity with that tropical aesthetic while fitting comfortably into Midsumma’s broader programming. First release tickets are available now, and if past Hot and Steamy events are anything to go by, they won’t stick around forever.
For more information, head here.
This article was made in partnership with Hot & Steamy.
