Where to find the best gay bars, clubs, and queer community in London. Soho, Vauxhall, East London, and the events worth planning a trip around.
Updated
London's queer scene runs wider than its postcode districts let on. Soho still anchors the LGBTQ+ map with the most concentrated cluster of gay bars in the country, but the energy moves on weekends to Vauxhall's clubs and East London's queer-led parties. This guide covers the best gay bars and clubs, gay saunas, pride events, and gay-friendly places to stay in London, organized by neighborhood and by mood.
When to visit London
London's gay scene runs year-round, and the weather is more reliable than you'd expect from June to early September. A few weekends pull international crowds and pre-book accommodation months out:
Pride in London lands on the first Saturday of July. The parade, the Soho block parties, and a fortnight of fringe events around it.
UK Black Pride takes place in mid-August. Smaller scale than Pride in London, larger cultural significance, with a Pan-African and Caribbean focus.
Mighty Hoopla is a queer-leaning pop festival in early June. Brockwell Park sells out fast.
Winter is quieter but the bars and clubs stay busy. Late spring and early autumn give you the scene without the heatwave or the crowds.
London's historic gay village. Old Compton Street has been queer for decades, with a tight cluster of gay bars, drag bars, and cabaret venues that survived the rent rises by being institutions. Polished, central, friendlier door policies than the East. Best for first-time visitors and weeknights.
Vauxhall
The clubbing district. Late-night gay clubs, a leather and fetish corner, and the iconic Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Best on Saturday and Sunday nights, with parties that run into Monday morning. South of the river, easy on the Tube.
The newer queer scene: Dalston, Hackney, Bethnal Green, Haggerston. Queer-led, DIY, often woman- and trans-fronted. Smaller venues but the most interesting parties of the week. The crowd skews younger and the dress code is whatever you want it to be.
Clapham & South London
Gay-friendly residentially, with a couple of long-running bars and pubs. Two Brewers in Clapham is the anchor. Lower-key than Soho or Vauxhall.
Best gay bars and clubs in London
The list rotates. Venues change over fast in London, so the live map is the source of truth for what's open tonight. A few that have been around long enough to recommend by name:
Heaven is the legendary club under Charing Cross. Massive, mainstream gay, every Friday and Saturday.
G-A-Y Bar on Old Compton Street is the Soho default. Loud, packed, no pretense.
Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT) is a heritage cabaret pub turned club. Sundays are a London institution.
The Glory in Haggerston is the East London cornerstone for drag and queer cabaret.
London has fewer dedicated gay saunas than Berlin, but the ones that operate are well-run with day passes and themed nights. Most cluster around Vauxhall and Waterloo. Check the map for currently open saunas. Standard etiquette: no means no, leave bags at reception, bring your own towel if you can.
Where to stay: gay-friendly hotels in London
Most central London hotels are LGBTQ+ friendly. Pick the neighborhood based on what you're here for:
Soho puts you in the middle of the gay village. Best for first-time visitors who want bars at the door.
Vauxhall or Waterloo suits clubgoers chasing weekend parties without a long Tube ride home.
Shoreditch or Hackney suits the East London party crowd. Not where the historic gay scene is, but where the most interesting nights of the week happen.
For the latest list of accommodation, open the map and filter to Accommodation.
Pride and queer events in London
Pride in London (early July): the main parade and a fortnight of associated events.
UK Black Pride (August): the largest celebration of Black LGBTQIA+ people in Europe.
Mighty Hoopla (June): a queer-leaning pop festival in Brockwell Park.
BBZ, FOLD, Adonis, and other club nights run year-round at venues across the East and South.
Getting around. A contactless card or Oyster card covers all transport. Night Tube runs Friday and Saturday on key lines, including the Victoria line that drops you at Vauxhall.
Cards everywhere. Almost no venue is cash-only. You don't need to find an ATM.
Community resources. Switchboard LGBT+ helpline, 56 Dean Street (sexual health, free testing in Soho), Stonewall (UK's largest LGBTQ+ charity).
Safety. London is broadly safe for queer travelers. Use licensed cabs or the Tube late at night rather than walking alone in unfamiliar areas.
