Restaurant Brighton's guide to
Gay Bars Brighton Guide LGBTQ+
Our top picks
Gay Bars Brighton Guide LGBTQ+
Brighton and Hove has long welcomed those looking for freedom to be themselves. The city has a rich history of queer goings-on, whether it be regular visits from a certain Oscar Wilde, gay favourites ABBA winning Eurovision at the Brighton Dome with Waterloo back in 1974 or, more recently, pop heartthrob Harry Styles filming the hit bisexual movie My Policeman.
Over the last 50 years, Brighton has firmly established itself as a hotspot of LGBTQ+ activism, hosting some of the UK’s first Gay Pride demonstrations and vocal anti-Section 28 marches. Today, we enjoy living in one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world. As such, almost all pubs, bars and cafés are what might be called ‘queer welcoming’, but there is also an abundance of out-and-proud venues that cater specifically for our LGBTQ+ communities and allies.
Brighton’s gay village is concentrated around Kemptown’s St. James’s Street. It’s in this area that you’ll find the majority of the city’s LGBTQ+ bars and pubs, but another enclave of offerings is nestled towards Hove. Here’s our selection of the best that Brighton has to offer – places where we’ve enjoyed far too many good times, and where we hope you will too.
Gay Bars Brighton LGBTQ+
Fresh on the scene from June 2022 is Arcobaleno (which means ‘rainbow’ in Italian). As the name suggests, it’s a welcoming LGBTQ+ venue with an expansive garden and a beautifully designed bar, which serves some mean cocktails! Local drag acts strut their stuff, inviting you to laugh, wine taste, win quizzes and so much more. Arcobaleno also runs workshops for our communities on a range of topical issues.
The Actors at The Marlborough Hotel
With a name like this, you’d expect some relation to performing arts. The Actors is located below the theatre in the iconic Marlborough Hotel building in Brighton, which has a long history of staging LGBTQ+ productions. Relaunched just a few years ago, the décor is deep colours and wooden panelling, and the bar is split right down the middle into two distinct rooms. It’s chilled, warm and friendly – no drama here, despite the name! And the pizzas are delicious…
4 Prince’s St, Brighton, BN2 1RD
Affinity Bar, Cocktails & Cabaret
This sleek cocktail space burst onto the scene to offer Icelandic ‘ice bar’ lighting, a friendly mixed crowd and a penchant for quality spirits. There’s also drag cabaret in this welcoming venue. And they now stock Tom of Finland Vodka too. You have been warned. Booking is advised Thursday to Sundays.
Gay Bars Brighton LGBTQ+: 129 St James’s St, Kemptown, Brighton, BN2 1TH
Bar Broadway, Gay Bars Brighton
Having undergone a major revamp, Bar Broadway is singing the musicals even louder right now and lights up the backstreets of Brighton’s Gay Village entrance. Drag, karaoke, great drink deals and a chorus of high notes, makes this a proper fun night out. Get your best voice on and prepare to be entertained!
10 Steine St, Kemptown, Brighton BN2 1TY
The Bulldog, Gay Bars Brighton
A bedrock of Brighton’s gay partying since 1979, The Bulldog is a karaoke and poptastic dancefloor pub with dark corners and disco lighting. It’s a no-frills kind of place, and all the better for it, with great drink deals and an up-for-it, mixed crowd. Under new management, it’s been revitalised, yet retains its traditional gay boozer charm.
31 St James’s Street, Brighton, BN2 1RF
The Camelford Arms, LGBTQ+ pub
Seconds from the sea, and serving up massive-portion pub grub comforts, The Camelford Arms is a bare brick, double-fireplaced LGBTQ+ venue with a long bar and a friendly vibe, with a quirky Moroccan patio at the rear. Expect a fun, over-30, mixed-but-mainly-gay-male crowd.
30-31 Camelford Street, Brighton, BN2 1TQ
Centre Stage, Gay Bars Brighton
Centre Stage Brighton takes, well, centre stage in Brighton’s seafront series of gay bars. The recent name change and refurbishment has breathed new life into the place, sprucing up the interior and the sizable sea-view terrace out front. Musicals and movies are prominent themes within, most of them aimed at a gay male clientele, who are in store for some drag cabaret and live music showtime.
11 Marine Parade, Brighton, BN2 1TL
Charles Street Tap, Gay Bars Brighton
Charles Street Tap has been a staple of gay Brighton for around 20 years, and underwent a major refurbishment a few years ago. The bar calls itself ‘The Queen of Craft’, nodding to their array of craft beers and rare gins. Like many queer venues, cabaret is at the heart of the entertainment, but there are also DJ nights, drag bingo and quizzes to keep you on your tippy toes following a fill of their fresh stone-baked pizzas.
Gay Bars Brighton LGBTQ+: 8 Marine Parade, Brighton, BN2 1TA
Club Revenge, LGBTQ+ Club
Club Revenge is arguably the most famous LGBTQ+ nightclub in Brighton, hosting shows from the biggest stars from RuPaul’s Drag Race to international pop stars and DJs. Spread out over three floors, the nightclub offers a large main room with state-of-the-art LED screens and lighting systems, themed VIP booths, and a magic mirror photo booth. The upper-level dancefloor is equipped with a breath-taking LED lighting array, Berlin-inspired décor, dancing cages and more VIP areas. To top things off, the amazing roof terrace has spectacular views over the city, the sea, and the pier and is open from late afternoon. Its sister venue, R-Bar, is just around the corner.
32-34 Old Steine, Brighton, BN1 1EL
Ironwork Studios, LGBTQ+
Near Brighton’s main train station, and bordering the famous North Laine quarter, Ironworks is the city’s Brighton Pride-owned LGBTQ+ performance space and TV studio. It offers a frankly incredible programme of musicians, comedians, drag queens and poets alongside emerging theatre productions. It is the home of one of Brighton’s best comedy nights, Stephen Grant’s Forge Comedy Club, with its roster of top-class comedians that have included Ramesh Ranganathan, Russell Kane, Sarah Pascoe and Zoe Lyons. All productions also support LGBTQ+ charities and community groups, including the Brighton Rainbow Fund, the Pride Community Foundation and Pride Cultural Development Fund.
30 Cheapside, Brighton, BN1 4GD
The Kemptown Klub
Tucked away on an unassuming residential road, The Kemptown Klub is a small private members venue, open to new members at no charge, and to over-25s only. The ground floor offers a tranquil lounge bar, serving up cocktails (the Aperol Spritz is a winner) and a good selection of continental beers as well as Cornish cider. Downstairs is a small nightclub where 80s and 90s-themed nights run regularly. Owners Peter and Rachel are known faces on the Brighton scene, having run LGBTQ+ venues across the city over many years. They trade on a warm welcome and, if you want to hear some gossip from gay Brighton gone by, this could be just the place…
75 St George’s Road, Brighton, BN2 1EF
Lé Village
Slap bang in the centre of St James’s Street is Lé Village, with its front terrace providing a great people watching spot. Drag nights are almost every night, as is Thai food, to be washed down with an array of cocktails and beers.
Gay Bars Brighton Guide LGBTQ+: 2-3 High St, Kemptown, Brighton BN2 1RP
Legends Resort, Gay Bars Brighton
A sun trap queer bar thanks to its large sea-view terrace, Legends Resort Brighton is now under new ownership, sporting a new wood-panelled décor and a refreshed seating and bar area. A popular afternoon drinking destination by day, its cavernous Basement Club is the after dark party spot, offering resident nights including the eclectic-tunes of Glitter Curious (often mixing Dua Lipa with Dolly Parton, Beyoncé with Blondie) and Friday Night Shift with more upfront dance anthems.
31-34 Marine Parade, Brighton, BN2 1TR
Nautilus Lounge
Nautilus is a grand-piano brandishing chillout venue with live singers and comfy sofas in underwater-themed surroundings. Surreal, cavernous and oddly decorated, it offers great cocktails and service; it’s well worth a visit. We can’t promise you’ll meet your sailor, but get ready to dive in just in case.
129/130 St James Street, Brighton BN2 1TH
R-Bar, seafront bar
The two-level R-Bar bills itself as a ‘feisty’ place to sample ‘super cheap’ drinks, meaning it attracts a lot of students from our city’s two universities as they warm up for the night. It’s recently had a Miami-style pastels and neon signs makeover, and the upper floor has panoramic seafront views.
5-7 Marine Parade, Brighton, BN2 1TA
The Queens Arms, Gay Bars Brighton
The Queens Arms is something of a Brighton gay institution, with its brightly painted pink exterior, adorned with rainbow flags and depictions of the city’s legendary drag acts. Glittery, camp and fun, it’s a must-visit for a right-royal gay-ol’ knees up.
7-8 George Street, Brighton, BN2 1RH
Glamorous
A welcome new bar on the scene, Glamorous is slap bang in the centre of St James’s Street and its front terrace provides a great people watching spot. Glamorous offers a range of nightly special offers on a wide variety of drinks as well as award winning international drag artists, top UK drag artists, resident DJ’s, student nights and much more.
2-3 High St, Kemptown, Brighton BN2 1RP
The Zone
You wanna get in the zone? Karaoke, cabaret and cracking drink offers dance around you at this little bar with large windows right on St James’s Street. There’s entertainment practically every night and it’s as camp as a row of tents.
33 St James’ Street, Brighton BN2 1RF
The Marine Tavern
It might be bijou, but The Marine Tavern goes large on entertainment and ambience. It bills itself as a cosy pub where everybody knows your name – or at least are likely to after a few hours inside – and it’s a friendly place to absorb the Brighton vibe.
Photo Copyright: Marine Tavern Facebook
13 Broad St, Brighton, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN2 1TJ
BRIGHTON’S NEW LGBTQ+ CENTRE
New LGBTQ+ hub, The Ledward Centre, is now open on Jubilee Street in the centre of the city with a street level café and gallery, and more on the way including a 70-seat cinema, a public meeting room and performance space, radio studios and a library and bookshop.
Photo Copyright: The Ledward Centre
Jubilee Street, Brighton, BN1 1GE
West Brighton Queer Quarter
The Bedford Tavern
Housed in a mock-Tudor building, this cosy pub has wooden beams and snugs to see in the evening. Catering to a mixed crowd, it hosts an array of fun-filled events, including the infamous Bonkers Musical Bingo. Its Sunday roasts are popular, so it’s best to book. There are even sort-of-sea views from its small outdoor terrace, which it’s best to use only when the sun shines.
30 Western St, Hove, Brighton BN1 2PG
The Grosvenor
Under new ownership from spring 2022, The Grosvenor has undergone a complete refurbishment and is a sister bar to St James’s Street’s Affinity. Small, welcoming, glisteningly new, it offers regular drag entertainment and a mixed crowd.
16 Western Street, Brighton, BN1 2PH
