Pride Special: Map Of The Hottest Gay Bars In London

The month of June doesn’t only signal the beginning of a summer sunshine (yes, let’s be optimistic), it is also the month of the rainbow! Pride Festival in London started on Saturday 9th and will last till the very popular Pride Parade grand finale on the 7th July. For those who want to celebrate Pride by partying all day and all night, we have gathered 26 parties happening in London on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th July. You’ll also find the addresses and opening times of 52 LGBT+ bars and clubs in the central London - for any day of the week!



Pride in London organises a wide range of events, from fun life drawing classes, films and dance shows, to more serious panel discussions on issues like mental health affecting the LGBT+ community. Self-defence classes are also on offer because today 1 in 5 LGBT+ people will have experienced some form of hate crime or violent incident due to their sexual orientation.

Pride was born in 1969 Manhattan, after violent demonstrations against the raid at Stonewall Inn (a gay bar). Brenda Howard, LGBT activist and mother of the Pride revolution, organised marches with the aim of establishing places where gays and lesbians could go and be open about their sexual orientation. At the time, gays and lesbians could be arrested and Pride was the catalyst for the founding of LGBT+ rights. Two years later, London was walking in New York’s footsteps.

Whilst the first London march had 2,000 participants, last year’s parade welcomed almost a million, making it the biggest march in Pride’s 45-year history! This year, more than 1 million people are predicted to take part on 7th July, with 300 groups and floats travelling from Portland Place station to Trafalgar Square.

But Pride is not only a march. The day is full of other activities where everyone is welcome from all ages, background and sexes. In Soho Square, over 30 charities will stay at the community village from 12-8pm, bringing awareness to the work accomplished by volunteers and non-for-profit groups for the LGBT+ community. There will also be a family stage in Golden Square from 12-7pm, where children can sing karaoke, enjoy performances from Pride’s Got Talent stars, or even have their faces painted! In Leicester Square, you can find performance on Women’s Stage from 12:30-7:30pm.

It’s a march, a political movement, an occasion to celebrate love, diversity and equality, and ultimately a giant party! What better way to move LGBT+ rights than with dance and music?

So here are our top 3 Pride party picks:

The Collective’s – George Michael Pride Party
What better way to celebrate Freedom, Love and Party, than with 18 hours of 80s’ legend and 80s tunes?
General Admission ticket- pre-sale: £10
OTD: £15
Address: 14 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3JA
Saturday 7th July at 18:00 to Sunday 8th July at 12:00.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-collectives-george-michael-pride-party-tickets-47014877765

Exilio LGBT Latin Dance Club
Who wants a little spice for their Pride party? You will certainly find what you were looking for at Exilio Latin Dance Club. The theme this year is FREE & WILD so enjoy dancing to Latino music all night in your leopard print outfits (and rainbows of course!)
Tickets: £10
Address: Victoria Embankment, London WC2R 2PN
Saturday 7th July at 22:00 to Sunday 8th July at 04:00
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exilio-lgbt-latin-dance-club-presents-london-gay-pride-official-latin-party-tickets-46686202689

Naff Drag Pride
Would Pride even be Pride without drag? Amazing performances, great music and cheap fizz. What else? Head to Hackney Showroom, East London’s largest creative hub for a night full of surprises!
Tickets: £15
Address: Armhurst Terrace, London E8 2BT
Saturday 7th July at 21:00 to Sunday 8th July at 03:00
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/naff-drag-pride-tickets-45426003399