Occupying a prominent spot on Soho’s Chinatown fringes, this large LGBTQ+ venue is regularly voted London’s best. Tourists and the younger crowd love it, and just about every LGBTQ+ Londoner has danced the night away here at least once On Thursdays it hosts the G-A-Y Porn Idol amateur strip contest, Fridays is filled with ’80s and ’90s cheese at G-A-Y Camp Attack, and Saturdays are reserved for the main G-A-Y club night, often featuring pop star PAs. Nearly four decades later, Heaven is no longer cutting-edge, but still offers the UK’s most famous gay night out.
London’s first gay superclub, it was the birthplace of Hi-NRG and acid house, and a magnet for queer celebrities. When it opened in 1979, Heaven was revolutionary. And monthly club night Cybil’s House, which bills itself as ‘a queer oasis of happiness, acceptance and celebration’, is becoming a real cult fave.
More recently, it’s suffered from a bit of a rough-and-ready reputation, but its 4am licence on Fridays and Saturdays isn’t to be sniffed at. Sir Ian McKellen used to drop in after he came out. The comedian Michael Barrymore famously came out on stage here. Something of a local legend, the White Swan is the East End’s most famous gay boozer. Venue says: Looking for a premium Bar and Restaurant in Clapham? Experiential Cocktails and Greek Cypriot food served in a beautiful setting Aquum is fairly unassuming from the outside, but inside boasts two floors and no less than three bar areas, plus… Whatever your gender and sexuality, Duckie is a must-try the only real rule is no whipping off your top like you’re at XXL.Ī restaurant and bar on Clapham High Street. In between and after the turns, DJ duo the Readers Wifes drop a hard-to-describe mix of Britpop, disco and leftfield chart hits from Bowie to Britney.
Host Amy Lamé – who’s now London’s Night Czar, too – introduces performers who run the gamut from legendary to terrible: you could see tap-dancers or a drag queen, or you could end up watching a heterosexual couple from Essex having a bust-up on stage. There’s a reason why Duckie has been running on Saturdays at the RVT for nearly 25 years: it’s an absolute blast. You’ll probably have to queue to get in, and you’ll probably have a lot of fun. It’s open seven days a week and has a strong cabaret offering on weekdays, but Friday and Saturday are full-on club nights with drag shows and more pop bangers than Max Martin’s hard drive. Read more Two BrewersĬlapham’s Two Brewers isn’t London’s hippest LGBTQ+ venue, but it’s defnitely one of the most popular. Debbie, a monthly Saturday night party which only plays songs by female artists, is also worth seeking out. On Sunday nights, the dancefloor welcomes a younger and more fashion-conscious crowd for Horse Meat Disco, one of London’s very best club nights. Eagle’s large horseshoe bar still attracts many an older, burlier gay gent, but the overall ambience now feels slick and sexy rather than, well, slightly sleazy. Out went the licence permitting sexual activity on the premises and in came the trendy decor inspired by New York’s Meatpacking District. This Vauxhall institution has recently had a facelift to rival Sharon Osbourne’s. After all, the venue’s most famous feature is the massive penis mural in the loos. VFD has the chutzpah to host club nights with names like Cuntmafia and Sassitude, but never takes itself too seriously. As its name suggests, it attracts a creative and fashion-conscious LGBTQ+ crowd who love to dress up (though no one will really care if you rock up in sneakers and a polo top). Read more VFDįormerly (and still commonly) known as Vogue Fabrics, this bijou Dalston basement hosts drag and spoken word events as well as genre-spanning club nights and parties. It’s all very trendy but everyone is welcome: don’t be surprised to see drag queens rubbing shoulders with off-duty dads from nearby Stoke Newington. Regular nights include Uncontrollable Urge (eccentric electro on Wednesdays) and SorryNotSorry Sundays (a monthly helping of ‘unapologetic pop’).
The upstairs bar is fun for a warm-up drink, but the basement is where the club action happens. Caught the Bimini Bon-Boulash bug over lockdown? You’ll love getting to know the rest of London’s incredible drag stars too.īy day, this East End favourite plates up brunch and burgers by night, it’s London’s best pansexual party spot. There’s plenty of diversity in what they offer, from super cool and edgy club nights to events showcasing the best in the city’s cabaret performers. Its heartland is still very much located in its traditional home of Soho, but you’ll find brilliant gay bars and clubs dedicated to serving the community south of the river and in the East End too.
London’s LGBTQ+ scene has long been full of vibrant venues offering safe spaces to be yourself.