Victoria has no stand-alone permit for strip clubs. The state regulates them through its liquor licensing system, so a strip club here is a licensed venue with extra conditions attached. All the Victorian venues in our directory are in Melbourne, in the CBD and inner suburbs. For how Victoria compares with other states, see our Australia overview.
How Victoria regulates strip clubs
The main law is the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998. One of the objects listed in section 4 is to regulate licensed premises that provide sexually explicit entertainment, which the Act defines as live entertainment in which a performer does an act of an explicit sexual nature for an audience — specifically excluding the provision of sexual services.
In practice, a venue offering this kind of entertainment needs a liquor licence with a sexually explicit entertainment condition, which carries its own fee under section 15E. The regulator — now the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, which replaced the VCGLR — has a separate licence category for sexually explicit entertainment venues, with its own application process and licensee fact sheets. The detailed conditions on each licence, including rules on contact and performance areas, vary from venue to venue, so check them with the club rather than assuming a single statewide standard.
Strip clubs are not sex work venues. Victoria decriminalised sex work in two stages, on 10 May 2022 and 1 December 2023, repealing the Sex Work Act 1994. None of this changes the rules for strip clubs, which are still licensed under liquor law.
Melbourne
King Street in the CBD has long been Melbourne’s best-known cluster of strip clubs, alongside its pubs and nightclubs. The venues in our directory are spread across the CBD and South Melbourne.
- Spearmint Rhino — 14 King St, Melbourne VIC 3000
- Goldfingers — 584 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
- Dreams Gentlemen’s Club — 1 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
- Kittens — 68 Cecil St, South Melbourne VIC 3205
- Magic Men (male revue) — listed at 52 Albert Rd, South Melbourne
What to check before you go
- Confirm the venue is still trading. King Street has changed a lot over the years, and several listings are old. Check opening hours and the address with the venue directly.
- Know that the house rules come from the licence. Each venue works under its own liquor licence conditions. Rules on contact, where performances take place and phone use are legal requirements, not something staff can bend.
- Do not confuse strip clubs with sex work venues. Decriminalising sex work did not change what a licensed strip club may offer. A venue advertising services beyond dancing is operating in a different legal category.