Melbourne Sex Guide

Melbourne is second only to Sydney as the premier destination for adult entertainment in Australia.

In truth, there’s not much to choose between the two cities. While Sydney has fully commercialised its sex trade, we’d argue Melbourne has the better selection of high-end luxury services — think “6-star” brothels and super exclusive escort agencies.

Our Melbourne Sex Guide covers everything from the best brothels and AMPs in the CBD, to popular escort services in Thomastown, Geelong, Collingwood, and the surrounding suburbs.

There’s no shortage of dirty thrills to be sampled around Victoria’s metropolitan capital.

Quick Links:

  • Melbourne Brothels – fill your boots, there’s an insane number of fully legal brothels in Melbourne (and around Victoria). From boutique hole-in-the-wall, to luxury 6-star hotel.
  • Melbourne Escorts – you’ll find an equally vast number of outcall services, with Melbourne attracting courtesans from all over the globe.
  • Melbourne Strip Clubs – the Melbourne nudie bar circuit has suffered a tumultuous few years with multiple closures. Here’s our pick of the sexiest clubs still dancing.
  • Melbourne Erotic Massage – again, huge choice. Many of these are small Asian-run parlours (AMPs).

Is Sex Work Legal In Melbourne?

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Yes.

Sex work is fully decriminalised in Victoria.

The Sex Work Decriminalisation Act 2022 was passed in February 2022 and officially came into effect on December 1st 2023.

Sex workers can now operate freely around Melbourne. Adult venues such as brothels and massage shops will enjoy the same freedoms as any other business.

The landmark act revokes the old licensing system where brothels, agencies and service providers were required to disclose their SWA numbers and register with the Business Licensing Authority (BLA). The two-tier approach of the previous system had attracted enormous criticism, and many would say that it failed the state’s sex workers. We’re pleased to see Victoria take this positive step forwards.

Previously there were around 90 licensed brothels in Melbourne, but estimates put the total number of unlicensed venues at much higher — as many as 400.

All of these establishments are now deemed legal, as long as they comply with existing Victorian Planning Provisions and WorkSafe requirements.

In practice, punters have always had plenty of choice. We’ve been reporting the best options for well over a decade. The city is well-served by renowned escort agencies (outcalls), with high-class brothels and hundreds of massage shops (incalls).

Punter’s Views

We ask readers for their thoughts on the sex industry in Melbourne.

Some select highlights below:

I punt around the CBD a couple of times a month, mostly the little Asian shops. Experience can be pedestrian, but let’s face it… the major shops don’t come cheap. I think if they charge anymore, you’ll see an exodus of punters to the escort directories. [On the law changing?] It’s not like it makes much difference to me. You’re not gonna teach this old dog new buying habits with an act of Parliament, right? Still… I’m glad the girls are finally getting some of the “official” support and protection they deserve.

Anon punter (Brunswick)

Generally my advice is to stick to the places that are proud to advertise what they are. If I drop in to a shop and none of the girls can speak English, with faces like a slapped arse, that just screams bad news. We don’t want to talk about it, but this city does have a trafficking problem and I don’t want anything to do with that.

Anon punter (Geelong)

Most of these girls are active on social these days, the Western ones anyways. Obviously… OnlyFans is a big draw, but even Twitter/X and Instagram. I much prefer doing my own research and taking the independent route. Better than dealing with an agency or a brothel. You know who’s getting the money. Not to mention, the best punt of my life came from a Melbourne party girl on OF.

Anon punter (South Melbourne)

I’ve worked in both cities [Melbourne and Sydney]. And they’ve both changed a lot since Covid. There’s huge turnover at the major brothels. Places like Top of the Town and Gotham have a never-ending factory line of girls, and the same applies to the punters. We get a real mix of customers. Young, old, rich, tradies… I’ve kinda learned to keep my expectations in check, ’cause you never know who’s coming through that door. There’s a sense of relief at the moment [with the decriminalisation act taking effect]. People don’t realise the bullshit hoops a sex shop had to jump through in the past. Something as simple as hiring security for the front door… how are you going to do that with advertising banned? It’s about time we had these changes.

Anon escort (St Kilda-based)

Got an opinion to add?

Submit your two cents in the comments at the bottom!

Inside Our Melbourne Sex Guide

How do Melburnians get laid outside of brothels (…and marriage)?

Sure, you can prop up the bar at your local pub, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. But it’s not exactly a cakewalk charming the pants off those Melbourne ladies. Thankfully, your chances increase if you know where to look…

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Local Hookups

Yeah, the girls in Melbourne can be kinda cliquey; it’s hard to pierce those chummy inner-circles of friends. That doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Check out this guide to hooking up — and get your root on around Melbs.

Popular Hookup Options

  1. Adult Friend Finder (Global)
  2. Adult Matchmaker (AU/NZ)
  3. R4R Melbourne (Reddit)
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Swinging In Melb

Victoria has some epic swinging spots, from the legendary Shed 16 over in Seaford, to The Saint & Sinners Ball, held four times a year, attracting Lifestylers from out-of-state. Oh, and don’t forget Melbourne’s ‘gangbang play pen’. 😉

Popular Lifestyle Options:

  1. Saints & Sinners Ball (Held every quarter)
  2. Red Hot Pie (Online community)
  3. SDC (Online community)

FAQs: The Dirty Side of Melbourne

Our mailbag is regularly hit with questions about the top NSFW antics around Melbourne.

Here are some of the more common requests:

What are the women like in Melbourne?

Beautiful, ambitious… and occasionally pretentious. Melbourne attracts high-flyer types, with the Inner City suburbs being a hot-bed of 8s, 9s and 10s. They’ve got this whole effortless-chic vibe going on. You know, like, ‘I just rolled out of bed in this $300 oversized shirt I found at a vintage market that no one else knows about.’

In a social setting, they roll in these tight-knit, super-cliquey squads that have been friends for years. Good luck trying to break into that circle if they don’t already know you or if you don’t get a solid intro.

What are the best places to get lucky?

If you’re looking to test your game in Melbourne, you’ve got to hit up the right spots. Check out mellow cocktail bars like the Black Pearl or Everleigh around Fitzroy in the early evening. Elsewhere, the Toff’s (CBD) got that ‘I’m here, but I’m not impressed easily‘ crowd.

To truly blow off some steam, we’d recommend Ms Collins, The Carlton or Revolver.

Does Melbourne have a red light district?

There is no official red light district, but historically St Kilda has the closest ties to the local adult trade. It’s been cleaned up a lot now, but you’ll still see some of those traces in the form of certain ‘working girls’ plying their trade late at night.

Head over to the “Intersection of Sleaze” between King St and Lonsdale and you’ll find some of the city’s most popular strip bars.

What does sex cost in Melbourne?

How long is a piece of string? It’s said that street-crawlers pay as little as $20 for a blowjob (or $50 for full sex in a car). Meanwhile, Melb’s luxury escort agencies will routinely charge $1500+ per hour for the ‘private companionship’ of their diamond girls. At a CBD brothel, you’re looking at around $250-$350 for full-service via a 1-hour incall.

Are there any famous porn stars from Melbourne?

Yep, it’s no surprise that several of Australia’s top porn stars can trace their roots back to Melbourne. Top names from the city include: Savannah Bond, Charlie Forde, Taliah Mac and Isabelle Deltore.

What is the local BDSM/Fet scene like?

FetLife has a fairly active Melbourne community. We’d recommend starting there if you are completely new to the scene. Kinky local attractions include the Manor of Sin (purpose-built dungeon in Braeside), and Fetish Manor (fully-fitted BDSM venue with mistresses, masters and kinky service providers).

What is the local LGBT scene like?

This city is one of the most progressive places in Australia, so the LGBT crowd is thriving, and the community here is really well-integrated. The obvious recommendation is to head over to Fitzroy and Collingwood. These areas are packed with bars, clubs, and venues that are totally inclusive and queer-friendly. You’ve got places like The Peel Hotel, which is iconic for the gay scene—it’s basically a Melbourne institution.

Melbourne also has a couple of major LGBT festivals, including Gaytimes (“the camping festival of your big gay dreams”) and Midsummer Festival (“a celebration of LGBTQIA+ arts”)

Other Posts Covering Melbourne’s Sex Scene

Submit Your Two Cents on Melbourne:

We want to hear your thoughts on the sex scene around Melbourne. From punter reviews of top venues, to how you think the city’s adult attractions have changed over the years.

Recommendations? Observations?!

Feel free to share with our readers!

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