Of all of the things Brighton is famous for, its queer scene is arguably one of the biggest. The LGBTQ+ Community is a crucial pillar in Brighton’s history and current society, and the sheer scale of this scene has led to Brighton becoming unofficially known as Europe’s gay capital. This nickname, one that has undoubtedly been well-earned, has made it a staggeringly popular location for queer people to call home and visit as a holiday destination from within the UK and abroad.
One of the many things that has contributed to this popularity with the LGBTQ+ community is the high number of openly gay-friendly venues, especially bars, throughout the city. Whatever vibe you’re after, this list of Brighton’s best gay bars will undoubtedly give you a space to celebrate queer joy and be unapologetically yourself.
Revenge
Perhaps Brighton’s most iconic LGBTQ venue, Revenge is a must for any LGBTQ visitor or Brighton resident. The venue truly has something for everybody; the newly renovated R-Bar offers both sit-down spaces for those after a more chilled evening as well as a dancefloor that serves as the ideal warm-up for Club Revenge just around the corner and also hosts several queer events such as Lip-Sync For Your Life. The Rooftop, open Fridays & Saturdays in the Summer months, is the perfect spot to enjoy panoramic views of the Brighton seafront over 2 for £12 cocktails served by drag-queen hosts.
Club Revenge, however, is arguably the star attraction. The club features two levels, with performances from drag queens every night and hosts multiple themed events. It is also the heart of Brighton Pride every year with a party on the Saturday that lasts until 7 am. With its massive Pride flag hanging above the club entrance, when it comes to gay venues in Brighton, there is nowhere quite like Revenge.
Website: https://www.revenge.co.uk/
R-Bar Address: 5-7 Marine Parade, BN2 1TA
Club Revenge Address: 32-34 Old Steine, BN1 1EL
Charles Street Tap
Located on the seafront just a stone’s throw away from the heart of Brighton’s gay village, Charles Street Tap offers a wide range of beers, wines, cocktails, and spirits for a reasonable price, as well as delicious food served between certain times.
They are a loud and proud gay bar, adorned with Pride bunting at all times of the year, and regularly host events such as Cabaret and Drag shows that are wildly popular with LGBTQ audiences and allies alike. They also regularly feature DJs that fill up the dancefloor with people of all sexualities and identities, creating a space that feels exactly how a gay bar should be; friendly, inclusive, and open to everyone.
Website: https://www.crafted-social.co.uk/charles-street-tap-brighton
Address: 8 Marine Parade, BN2 1TA
Legends
Legends is open 7 nights a week until 4 am, earning a reputation as one of Brighton’s favourite LGBTQ party venues. The bar offers a wide range of drinks promotions during the Happy Hour, running from 5-7 between Sunday and Thursday, as well as a number of premium spirits and a small cocktail menu.
Legends is also home to an underground club, a terrace with fantastic views of the sea and Brighton Palace Pier, and a hotel with 40 rooms, making it an ideal destination for any LGBTQ tourists looking for a friendly, inclusive, and fun place to stay in Brighton. There is always something on, be it DJs or drag nights, and it has undoubtedly cemented itself as an icon in the queer scene of the city.
Website: http://legendsresortbrighton.com/main-home/
Address: 31-34 Marine Parade, BN2 1TR
Affinity Bar
Formerly known as Infinity Bar, this Kemptown gay bar prides itself on being focused on the community it serves above all other things. They offer 2 for £13 on cocktails made in-house by the friendly queer staff and host frequent drag nights, as well as lively karaoke evenings that have proved to be a raging success with customers.
Open from 12 pm – 2 am every night, the bar has been praised for its incredible atmosphere, affordable drinks, exciting performances, and welcoming staff members who will consistently go above and beyond to ensure customers have a great experience.
Website: https://www.affinitygaybar.co.uk/
Address: 129 Saint James’s Street, BN2 1TH
The Bedford Tavern
The Bedford Tavern, nestled in the side streets of Hove, has earned a reputation as a friendly and inclusive pub among much of the LGBTQ+ community and has become especially popular with bisexual and lesbian women. It offers a cosy, country-pub feel for those after a more informal setting for drinks, as well as a highly praised Sunday Roast and a number of rotating pop-up kitchens.
Sundays are also the day when the pub’s infamous musical bingo takes place, which has generated rave reviews from customers. With all this, as well as frequent Cabaret performances and party nights, The Bedford Tavern is a thriving queer venue and a guaranteed good time.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/BedfordTavernBrighton/
Address: 30 Western Street, BN1 2PG
Bar Broadway
Bar Broadway considers itself Brighton’s top musical theatre and cabaret bar and for anyone who has set foot inside, it isn’t difficult to see why. With Karaoke every night Thursday-Sunday in their event space Off Broadway (which is also available for hire) and countless events on a regular basis, this campy bar is endless fun for LGBT people and musical theatre fans alike.
They boast a modest cocktail menu with names keeping with the bar’s main theme, as well as a range of beers, wines, and spirits. Furthermore, their Drag Brunches, are available as three different drink packages, each featuring three hours’ worth of live drag performances, making it great value for money as well as a unique and enjoyable experience.
Website: https://barbroadway.com/
Address: 10 Steine Street, BN2 1TY
The Queen’s Arms
This Kemptown gay bar is famous throughout the city for its extravagant cabaret nights and fun, campy vibes. As well as their iconic and regular cabaret shows, The Queen’s Arms also hosts high-quality drag performances and karaoke nights for absolutely everyone- whether you’re LGBTQ, straight, or not sure, anyone is welcome in this high-energy, welcoming backstreet pub.
The pub is impossible to miss due to its bright pink exterior and is adorned with pride flags, marking it as a proud and unapologetic gay bar. Open until 2 am every night, it’s the perfect place for a night of all-inclusive fun and celebration of queer joy.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/TheQABrighton/?locale=en_GB
Address: 7-8 George Street, BN2 1RH
The Actors
Located below The Marlborough Theatre and Hotel, The Actors are heavily influenced by the performing arts and dedicate much of their time and energy by supporting them with events and fundraisers. The theatre has hosted several queer-led performances in its time, making this whole establishment an incredibly supportive and friendly place for the LGBTQ+ community.
This pub is a cosy and inclusive space for both locals and the LGBTQ community, providing a range of beers, wines, and spirits, as well as delicious pizzas from Pizza face. They also provide lively yet safe and welcoming evening entertainment in the form of regular DJ and quiz nights, making this the perfect place for regular visits for any LGBTQ person or ally in search of an inclusive and friendly environment. The hotel is also widely known as gay-friendly, making it the ideal place to stay for any LGBTQ travellers passing through Brighton.
Website: https://www.actors.pub/pub
Address: 4 Prince’s Street, BN2 1RD
Brighton is the perfect place for members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies
As Brighton Pride celebrated its 50th Anniversary in August of 2023, and with anti-LGBTQ sentiments both in the UK and across the globe on the rise, Pride and queer-dominated spaces have never been more important for the community. Conversion therapy has still yet to be officially banned in the UK, and anti-trans rhetoric has become increasingly and worryingly common among both political sides.
This rise in hate towards the community has made it more important than ever for queer people to have a safe space to turn to. Brighton has long been a safe haven for the queer community, providing an accepting and welcoming environment that many queer people of any age have usually only had limited experience with elsewhere in the UK, and in fact the world.
Though there are many bars in Brighton that will call themselves gay-friendly, having queer-dominated spaces where it will always be safe for the LGBTQ community to be authentically themselves without fear of discrimination or violence. These bars have proved to be safe spaces for the queer community, and have proved that while allies will always be welcome, the safety of its community and celebration of queer joy at a time when so much of the community is suffering will always be their number one priority.
