Meet John Milligan
Singer, pianist and the person behind Big Gay Piano Bar
Hi, I’m John. If you’ve been to Big Gay Piano Bar, you’ll usually find me at the piano, taking your requests, leading a singalong and seeing where the night takes us.
I’m a Sydney singer, pianist, musical director and producer, with a love of big voices, great songs and getting a room full of people singing together. My repertoire wanders through musical theatre, pop, jazz and cabaret, with plenty of room for a soaring ballad or an unexpected audience request.
I started performing publicly at ten and had a weekly piano-bar residency by fifteen. After completing a Bachelor of Music in Performance at UNSW, I built a career across live music, theatre and cabaret. I’ve also spent more than a decade entertaining audiences around the world, both as a headline performer and at the piano on cruise ships.
Along the way, I’ve worked as a vocal coach, musical director and producer, with projects including The Last Five Years at NIDA, Sydney Sings the Tonys and showcases celebrating everything from Disney to Jason Robert Brown.
But some of my favourite moments are the simplest: choosing a song, hearing the room join in and realising everyone knows every word.
How Big Gay Piano Bar began
Big Gay Piano Bar was an idea I’d been sitting on for a while. In June 2025, the late, much-loved Maxi Shield encouraged me to make it happen. With an introduction to the venue from DJ Dan Murphy, the first night took place at Ginger’s at the Oxford Hotel on 1 August 2025.
I wanted to create a welcoming space for our queer community and friends to come together through live music. Somewhere you could request a favourite song, sing along, laugh and feel part of the evening.
Since then, it’s grown into regular piano-bar nights, themed community showcases and Big Gay Cabaret, bringing together performers from musical theatre, cabaret, comedy and drag. We’ve also appeared at Mardi Gras Fair Day and supported fundraisers for Qtopia Sydney, GiveOUT Day and Emerald City Kickball.
A shared love of a good song
The community that’s formed around these events is what makes me proudest. People come back, bring friends and get to know one another. Our showcases give emerging and experienced singers a chance to share music they love with an audience cheering them on.
I still run Big Gay Piano Bar independently, from booking dates and planning shows to promoting events and performing. Every night comes together with the help of wonderful performers, venue teams, technicians, photographers and, of course, everyone who turns up.
Whether you come with friends or arrive on your own, I hope you’ll feel welcome.
See you around the piano.
John x
Portrait: Mark Dickson.