Adelaide has some of the most conservative adult industry regulations and laws in the country. While sex work is not entirely illegal, it is severely restricted.
You won’t find licensed brothels in South Australia as they are banned; however you will still find some venues that offer other forms of adult entertainment. Body rubs, tantra sessions and – of course – a handful of excellent titty bars.
While we cannot provide as extensive coverage of the Adelaide sex industry as we do for other major Aussie cities, we can certainly talk getting laid: hooking up, casual encounters and what exists of the fragmented swinging scene.
Sex and Prostitution In Adelaide
While the act of providing sexual services is not explicitly illegal, many associated activities, such as brothel operation, living off earnings from sex work, or street solicitation, are criminalized under laws like the Summary Offences Act 1953 and the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935.
What this means is that neither sex workers or their clients have any protection if they are caught in the age-old transaction of money-for-sex.
South Australia has repeatedly attempted to reform these laws… in fact, over a dozen decriminalisation bills have been introduced since the 1980s. But as of 2025, none have passed the Lower House. In July 2022, a decrim bill did pass the Upper House… but ultimately it has stalled since then. We’re not optimistic it will pass through anytime soon, and so Adelaide is left in something of a sex work stalemate.
If you’re travelling here from Sydney or Melbourne, and you’ve become accustomed to walking in to neon-lit brothels unopposed, you’re in for a rude awakening.
They call Addie the 20-Minute City… but not for the reasons your dirty mind is thinking!
You’re simply not going to find lavish, licensed five-star brothels like those in more progressive states. The law does not permit them in SA.
The brothels that do exist are shady hole-in-the-wall type venues that we highly suggest you avoid.
Punter Views
For all the red tape and legal shitstorms [surrounding sex work], the industry still goes on as normal… mostly. All of the major directories have listings for Adelaide, the massage shops operate on a wink wink nudge nudge basis. It’s one big sham. But it is what it is. I feel sorry for the private working girls that get made the scapegoats mostly. Too many stories of entrapment and bullshit setups. What a waste of time and energy.
Anon punter (CBD)
The sex industry is always going to exist – the only thing the government is succeeding at is tarring us all with stigma or driving us underground. Bring in some regulation and tax the damn thing if it makes you feel better. The sooner we catch up with the rest of Australia, the better.
Anon sex worker (Adelaide)
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Escort Industry
As you’d expect in a city where sex work is so stigmatised, Adelaide’s escort sector operates under the radar… and almost exclusively online.
There are no “escort bars” or official agencies with storefronts like you might find in parts of Sydney.
Previous court rulings have included escort agencies under the same definition as brothels, which are banned in South Australia. However, the cases where this has been enforced are in situations where the clients would meet the escort ‘in-house’ before departing elsewhere.
The existing escort agencies in Adelaide operate under the distinction that they are only providing companionship services. The problem is that various potential offences still apply to this arrangement, not least procurement and living off the earnings of a sex worker.
In other words… it’s a real mess.
Whatever the case, online escort directories remain prominent throughout SA: sites like Locanto used to list hundreds of call girls. It appears they’ve cleaned up their site recently (we could only find 8 listings in their escort section).
Other sites, that we won’t name here, still contain dozens upon dozens of escort ads. The same sites that we’ve featured in our guides for other cities… yep, they all cover Adelaide too. 🤦
Adelaide Brothels
Legally speaking, brothels are outlawed in South Australia… but in reality Adelaide hosts a network of brothel-like venues operating under euphemisms like “massage centre” or “spa”.
These establishments are usually unmarked houses or commercial units that offer full sexual services on-premises.
If we go back ten years, there were said to be roughly 40-50 illicit brothels operating in metropolitan Adelaide alone. We’d say the number has decreased since then, after a number of raids, but there’s still a sizable list of “worst kept secrets” where full service is offered. Just visit a punter forum (or follow the right Reddit boards) to see for yourself.
The authorities generally leave these venues alone, unless they cause problems.
Red Light Districts
Unlike Sydney’s notorious Kings Cross or Melbourne’s St Kilda, Adelaide lacks a prominent red light district in the traditional sense.
(And it’s hardly surprising given what we’ve seen so far with the local sex work laws.)
However, the city has had its hotspots for street-based sex work and adult entertainment.
Hanson Road, Woodville Gardens/Mansfield Park: If Adelaide has such a thing as a red light hub, this is it. Hanson Rd is a long arterial in the industrial inner-northwest, and for decades it’s been infamous for street hookers plying their trade. It earned a reputation for flamboyant street sex workers – particularly TS sex workers in the 1980s-90s. The stretch around Woodville Gardens is particularly known as a pickup zone after dark. Women (and trans women) will stand or walk slowly along the footpath, and shady Johns circle the block or wait in nearby car parks.
Hindley Street, Adelaide CBD: We’ve covered Hindley before, and while it’s not a conventional RLD, it’s definitely Adelaide’s main nightlife hub. In the 1970s and ’80s, Hindley had a sleazy reputation driven by illegal brothels and sauna shops. Today, Hindley is cleaner but still decidedly adult-oriented west of King William Street. You’ll find strip clubs like the Crazy Horse and The Palace, and a bunch of adult shops. Freelance sex work is pretty much a given, even if it’s not taking place on the curb.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Adelaide had a few notorious areas for vice. Places like Light Square and Whitmore Square were known for brothels.
The port area (Port Adelaide) also had its share of “ladies of the night” serving sailors. These have all faded into history.
These days, Hanson Road is the closest thing to a traditional red light area, with visible sex work, but we’d strongly recommend you stay away from the streets. All street-based work is illegal; if police stop you, you could be fined.
The Price of Sex in Adelaide
If we crunch the numbers of the world’s oldest trade, sex in Adelaide is cheaper than Melbourne and Sydney. But not by much.
Full-Service at Brothels/Parlours: At the quasi-legal brothels, you’ll typically see fixed session prices. Some of the more prominent venues are currently advertising rates of around $160 for 30 minutes, $250 for 60 minutes. This is fairly representative of Adelaide’s going rate for a full-service session in a parlour.
Independent Escorts: Mid-range escorts in Adelaide will often charge about $250-$300 per hour for full service. This might come down to $180-$200 for a half-hour “short stay” if they offer it, but this is rarer. On the high end, elite escorts command $500-$700/hour. There’s no real ceiling at the high end. You’ll get some bombshell VIPs charging over $1000/hour, particularly those from out of town, but in general, we’d say the scene is slightly cheaper than in Sydney or Melbourne. Probably due to fewer cashed up clients.
Street Prostitutes: Dirt cheap, risky and not recommended. Prices can be as low as $50 on Hanson Road. Throw in some cheap motel and it still probably clocks in at under $100.
Erotic Massage Shops: Well, they don’t all offer full service. In fact, many don’t. Current rate is said to be $50-$70 for a 30-minute massage, plus a tip of $20-$50 for the hand relief. So you’re looking at roughly $100 for a standard happy ending (and a distinctly mid back-rub).
Erotic Massage Shops
Speaking of Addie’s erotic massage shops, there’s no doubt that they are a big draw to local punters… especially in a region deprived of legal brothels.
Technically, it’s illegal for a massage business to offer sexual services in SA.
In practice, erotic massage shops operate openly, with no shortage of AMP options, often allowed to tick over quietly with a tacit understanding by authorities.
They usually stay under the radar by keeping fronts as legit massage clinics. A telltale sign of such a shop is opaque windows, neon “Open” signs (at odd late hours), and ads in classifieds hinting “Attractive young staff, relaxation specialists.” It doesn’t take a genius to add it all together.
Because full service is illegal, these places often stick to the happy ending or body-to-body massage as their public offering. We do still hear reports of punters managing to get FS through direct negotiation.
If a massage shop is charging $150/hour… when others charge $70 for the same services… chances are they’re selling more than just body lotion and deep tissue relief!
Sex Clubs In Adelaide
Swinger venues and sex-on-premises clubs are thin on the ground in Adelaide, but that doesn’t mean the lifestyle crowd is sitting home with a cuppa watching MAFS.
The scene is just… scattered.
The biggest name is The Rabbit Hole, a members-only swinger event run by a local couple who’ve been keeping Adelaide’s key parties turning for years. They run a mix of newbie nights, fetish/kink-friendly events, and larger all-play socials. You’ll need to book in advance, and single men are capped and screened. Couples and single ladies tend to get a warmer welcome. No shit, right? 😂
Devious Adelaide is another inclusive group with sex parties held quarterly.
The gay crowd has it easier… they’ve got Pulteney 431, Adelaide’s only gay men’s sauna, smack right in the CBD. It’s clean, open late (24 hours on weekends), and has all the cruising gear you could possibly need: spa, steam, dry sauna, private cabins, maze, sling room.
You don’t have to message ten people on Grindr and hope one’s not catfishing you… just pay the entry fee and… well, you can guess the rest.
Beyond these options, it’s DIY territory:
- Swingers connect via RedHotPie, SDC and AdultMatchmaker for private house parties and orgies. If we had to choose one, best to start with RHP (more events in Addie).
- The kink community runs irregular dungeon nights like Switch SA or Adelaide Leather & Fetish… probably more floggers and rope than full-on sex, but you never know.
- And of course, Fetlife is the local kink/swing classifieds – if you want to get your freak on.
Adelaide Strip Clubs
Hindley Street is where you’ll find the bulk of Adelaide’s strip action, and unlike the rest of SA’s adult industry, these places are 100% legal.
Yes, you’ll still get shit from bouncers, dress codes, and rules about touching (hot tip: don’t), but at least you don’t have to play hide-and-seek to find them!
A few good options:
Crazy Horse Revue – 143 Hindley St, Adelaide SA 5000. The Crazy Horse is the city’s most famous gentlemen’s club and has been doing its thing for well over four decades. Big stage, choreographed routines, actual showgirls who can dance, and a strict “dress to impress” policy – so no ratty sneakers, no hi-vis, no mullets, and no thongs unless they’re on the dancers. Entry’s usually around $15–$20 (often free before 9pm).
The Palace – 111 Hindley St, Adelaide SA 5000. One of the ‘big two’ on Hindley. You can rinse a fortune here if you’re not careful, especially if you get coaxed into the VIP rooms with “special” packages.
The Firm – 142 North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000. A smaller, more pub-like strip venue with a regular crowd. Has packages starting at $100 per person (3 drink cards with a minimum of 8 guests), up to a VIP $250 per head Gold package (2-hour bar tab or a bottle service, plus VIP seating).
Local Sex Shops and Adult Stores
While Adelaide can be painfully uptight about brothels, it has no qualms about flogging you a dildo the size of a cricket bat. What’s up with that? 😂
You’ll find adult shops scattered all over the metro area – from giant CBD emporiums to suburban hole-in-the-wall joints.
We have a separate guide covering the top locations, but here are some local faves:
Amore Erotica – 1/297 Payneham Rd, Royston Park SA 5070. One of many long-running sex shops near the CBD. Their Luxury Lounge category stocks popular items like the Motorbunny, LuvDollz, We-Vibe Moments and the Kiiroo Keon Combo.
Club X – 348 King William St, Adelaide SA 5000. Right in the thick of Hindley Street’s nightlife strip. Chain store layout, heavy on DVDs and mags, with a toy wall and some racy lingerie. The back area has coin-operated “video arcade” booths. Yep, peep show town!
Black Knight Erotica – 2 Kilkenny Rd, Kilkenny SA 500. Almost unmissable with its industrial battleship grey walls on the corner of Kilkenny Rd. Black Knight has a unique Express Delivery service via Uber Delivery.
All of these shops are 18+ entry… so bring ID if you look young!
Other Notable Adult Attractions
Even with the legal chokehold on brothels, Adelaide’s still got a few other adult diversions worth a mention.
Adult Cinemas & Peep Booths
You won’t find a full-size porn theatre here anymore, but the “video arcades” in Club X scratch the same itch. They are basically coin-operated booths playing short adult loops, with optional “glory window” between select cubicles. YMMV.
Private Stripper Hire
Bucks, hens, birthdays – whatever the occasion, there’s an agency ready to send someone over.
Risque Entertainment, Busty Babes, and a bunch of smaller outfits will supply topless waitresses, nude waiters, or strip shows in your lounge room. Check their websites for pricing; it normally starts from $250 for a basic strip to much more for a couple putting on a performance that might just scorch your retinas.
Our Posts Covering Adelaide’s Sex Scene
Casual Encounters in Adelaide: Where to Find NSA Sex
Swinging In Adelaide: Popular Clubs, Sex Parties & Meetups
Hindley Street: Inside Adelaide’s Unofficial Red Light District
What are your thoughts on the Adelaide sex scene today?
Drop us a comment or a private email if we’ve missed anything important!
