Licklist's guide to the UK's Gay Scene
There’s a great gay scene up and down the country. Whichever city you go to, you’re sure to find a few hidden gems where you can meet people, catch up with friends, or just let your hair down to your favourite hits on the dance floor.
If you’re planning a big night out and want to know where the best gay scenes are in the UK, we have a couple of cities in mind, with some of the best gay bars and clubs on offer!
With the biggest gay scene in the UK, we couldn’t think of a better way to open this article than to share with you some of the biggest clubs on offer to you in this area!
The Basement Club – The Marine Parade.
This is Brighton’s newest gay club, so has a fantastic, exciting atmosphere as it welcomes people of all ages to come and enjoy themselves.
Open seven days a week and with free entry, Basement invites you to come and let loose to the sounds of Peter Castle and Lee Harris and enjoy the two floors of music on offer to you from 11pm on weekends.
Envy- situated not far from The Basement Club, Envy is also on Marine Parade, making it a quick and easy transition on your night out without getting caught in the good old English weather.
With a restaurant on the ground floor directly underneath Envy, you could try your best to fill up on food during the day, then trek upstairs to burn it right back off on the dancefloor!
With regular drag acts and themed nights such as cabaret, you’re sure to enjoy yourself on your trip to Brighton Pier with Envy.
Wild Fruit- St James Street
You’ll definitely be in safe hands when you visit Wild Fruit, who boast about bringing themed nights to the UK clubbing scene for over 23 years.
A club that prides itself on it’s excellent DJs, who focuses mainly on house music, invite you to come and enjoy a confident, flamboyant atmosphere.
Wild Fruit has opened it’s doors to the likes of Fatboy Slim and Boy George, so is sure to impress and will offer a night out that you will never forget!
Canal Street in Manchester is also known as Gay Village, and has a large choice of bars, clubs and restaurants inviting all of the LGBT community to a safe and welcoming environment. A couple of bars you should definitely hit on this street include…
Lammars - this brightly decorated bar features a large seating area and dining area, making it a great place to hit during the day for a quick bite to eat and for your next night out. With Happy Hour taking place Sunday- Friday and other reasonably priced drinks, this is one not to miss!
Company- If you’re looking for a more relaxed night out, where you can sit and talk comfortably without music being drummed into your ears, head to Company’s basement bar. It’s open 7 days a week, making it easy for you to organise a night with friends, and boasts a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Canal Street features a lot of other fantastic gay bars, including Tribeca, Taurus, New Union and The Parlour. Have an explore through all the bars on offer, and you will find a mix of gig venues, cocktail bars and restaurants, all featuring an array of different music genres, making this destination fit for a night out of any style.
Beginning one of the top places to visit in the UK, Cardiff boats a brilliant, thriving gay scene, attracting people from all over the world.. Some of the places you should head to include…
Eagle Bar- Charles Street- this is one of Cardiff’s new gay bars but don’t let that put you off, despite it’s short stay on the scene, it is fast becoming one of Cardiff’s most popular gay bars. This bar, again is a more relaxed venue, more focused on people being able to meet up and chat, rather than being a fast paced club scene. Although, they do have monthly themes including army, sports kit and Fetish! to make the night a little more interesting!
Wow Bar - Churchill Way- Open from 9am in the morning serving food, this venue serves as both a great meeting place during the day, but when the sun goes down, turns into a lively club. With free entry before 11pm from Sunday to Thursday, and ‘cheeky hour’ drink promotions including £2.50 draughts and £2.20 spirit and mixers, your Cardiff night out wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Wow.
Head up north to find another great gay scene! Edinburgh boasts some great gay bars and clubs, suitable for a fancy night out or just a quick get away.
Chalkys- Picardy Place- this is a great place to go if you’re looking for great chart hits, a fantastic dance floor and a party atmosphere! With the choice of booking a booth that gets you free entry and cloakroom use, your celebratory night out would fit perfectly into Chalkys hands.
The Street- Picardy Place- and if you get tired of Chalkys, or just fancy a new atmosphere, The Street is not a long walk away. With two floors of music to choose from, a heated outdoor smoking area and open to 1am weekdays and 3am on weekends, the party can continue even later! You can even grab a quick bite to eat with food being served until 9pm.
And of course, this article wouldn’t be complete without a quick look into the gay scene of our fine capital. If your next night out revolves around this city, some of the clubs on offer for you on the gay scene are not to be missed!
Barcode- Located on Albert Embankment, this club boasts two huge bars meaning you won’t be waiting too long to get your hands on a cold one, and with the latest in sound system technology and a huge dance floor, you’re sure to have an amazing night here!
Dalton Superstore- this is one of London’s biggest and best gay clubs. You will find it on Kingsland Road and with different music genres on different nights, including disco on Wednesday, RnB on Thursday and appearances from top DJs like CHERYL, it’s sure to be a night to remember. You will find a long menu of tasty cocktails, and with it being such an arty spot, you will find that all of the artwork on the walls is for sale!
As always, enjoy your night out safely!
By Ashleigh Panther