Time Out Sydney's Bruno premiere party

"Brüno vill be in town. Come und vorship at mein big gay church. Ich vill play your schvantzes like didgeridoos!" At his Australia movie premiere, Brüno lived up to his promise to this magazine, and then some.

Arriving at the State Theatre dressed as a knight in shining armour on a white steed clad in bondage gear, Bruno marched up Market Street shouting to the thousands lining the street: "Vassup Sydney! Do you like mein helmet?"

He was dressed all in silver as a space-age Roman Centurion, complete with sleeveless breastplate and studded hotpants with a built-in silver codpiece. "Underneath zis ich am vearing absolutely nosing," Bruno whispered to Time Out editor Dan Rookwood as he posed for pictures on the black carpet. "Except for a little of the man-milsch of your prime minister on mein shoulder."

Brüno, who had shared the bill with Kevin Rudd on Rove the previous evening, was in mischievous mood. "Ich never schtupp und tell but for ein moment – vell seven minuten – Austria und Australia came together. He asked me to come und look at his ute. But ich am faithful to mein boyfriend so ich didn't vant to do anything. Apart from blowjobs obviously." He added: "I did to him last night what Malcolm Turnbull has been trying to do to him for the last couple of weeks."

Brüno personally introduced his film from the stage of the State Theatre by asking the celebrity-strewn 1,500-strong audience: "Do you vant to see cock, Sydney? Do you vant to see a lot of cock, Sydney!? Zen you von't be disappointed." And they weren't. There were howls of laughter throughout the premiere, with guests – including the entire cast of The Chaser, Brendan Cowell, Rose Byrne, Ruby Rose and Sydney's top fashion designers – scarcely able to believe what they were seeing.

One scene that had been removed at the very last minute was the interview with La Toya Jackson. Sitting on Mexican peasants and eating finger food from the naked body of an obese Mexican, Bruno had quizzed a clearly uncomfortable La Toya about her brother Michael before duping her into giving him her BlackBerry and reading out Michael's mobile phone number in German to his assistant who wrote it down. Maybe it'll make the deleted scenes on the DVD.

There were genuine fears that The Chaser were planning to hijack the premiere with a stunt – and they were asked to sign an agreement promising to behave. There was, however, an abortive attempt to storm Brüno's platform by a chain restaurant looking for cheap publicity – but they ended up with hot sauce on their face.

Brüno was undeterred. "Ich really hope my movie realises its full global potential and doesn't peter out after a promising start like swine flu," he said. "Let's hope, like herpes, this film continues to infect audiences for the next thousand years."

With Australia the last stop on his world tour, Bruno said he was looking forward to relaxing at the after party. "Ich have been to seven countries over ze last 18 days – zat is more zan any Austrian since 1941," he said before leaving the premiere to change back into Sacha Baron Cohen for the first time in three weeks for a meal with family and friends at Glass restaurant in the nearby Hilton. Several of his wife Isla Fisher's family were present, as was Baron Cohen's brother, Erran, who composed the music for the film and who lives in Sydney.

Afterwards Sacha Baron Cohen joined 500 guests and celebrities upstairs at the Hilton's Zeta Bar for Time Out's exclusive VIP "Funfzehn Minuten of Fame" after party.

It was a high camp affair with a Studio 54 feel, and the free drinks flowed all night courtesy of major sponsors Canadian Club, as well as the on-brand Green Fairy absinthe, Tiger beer, Yellow Tail wine and Fiji water. Guests were 'papped' standing next to cardboard cut-outs of various celebrities before strutting down the runway under the instruction of catwalk coach Destiny Hazzarrived. Once they got past the Fashion Polizei on the door, they were escorted to the Glam Closet where artists from the Make Up Store applied gloss and feather boas and a photographer took portraits that were 'Warholised' onto the big screens.  

DJ Kitty Glitter was on the decks, and Sydney's premiere drag queen Courtney Act performed a dance act with a camp version of 'Thriller' as the controversial finale.

All pictures from the night are available to download from Time Out Sydney's Facebook page.

More films, film reviews, film festivals and special screenings in Sydney? Sign up for our weekly newsletter