The 3am weekend license means you can enjoy the night into the wee hours. The Adelaide retains the kitsch interior of its predecessor, but has upscaled with an added basement floor. As well as club nights, it hosts live performances and other arty events.Įlsewhere East, The Queen Adelaide in Bethnal Green rose from the ashes of the iconic Shoreditch gay pub, the George & Dragon. It’s recently reinvented itself to become a more femme-centered nightlife space. Nearby basement club Vogue Fabrics Dalston (VFD) is a queer performance space that hosts some of the quirkiest and subversive LGBTQ nights in London.
And with drag hosts on certain nights, we promise you this one is going to be a giggle. This place comes complete with glitter balls, smoke machines and cocktails (just in case you need a little Dutch courage to take to the stage). When it’s time to leave, there are plenty of cheap food joints in the hood if you need to soak up that excess booze! Talking of food, Dalston Superstore is also open during the day for food (we suggest Saturday or Sunday’s Disco Brunch) you can admire the queer artwork on the walls as you sip another bloody Mary!įancy yourself on the mic? Then the peeps behind Dalston Superstore have just recently opened The Karaoke Hole, a super fun karaoke spot a couple of meters up the road. This two-floor venue is one of the most alternative gay clubs in London, hosting an eclectic schedule of late-night electro, disco and dance club nights.
When you’ve had your fill at The Glory, hop on a bus heading north up Kingsland Road and check out Dalston Superstore. Prepare for glitter, go-gos, and drunken dancing in an ‘anything goes’ environment. You’ll often find drag and lipsync live shows, and as the venue is part-owned by London drag superstar Jonny Woo, we wouldn’t expect anything less. You can nip in for an early evening pint or cocktail, but it’s also a platform for forward-thinking queer entertainment such as Butt Mitzvah, the UK’s first ever gay Jewish night. Since opening a little over two years ago, this pub slash club slash performance space has firmly snatched the crown as the alt queer venue of choice. The epicenter of the east London gay scene is The Glory. And despite recent gentrification pushing out many sections of the LGBTQ community – and some of the venues that serve them – east London is still where it’s at. So, it’s no surprise to see some of the major players of the gay alternative London scene are based in this part of town. While Soho in central London has traditionally been the main hub for gay London life, Shoreditch, Dalston and areas of Hackney in east London have long been the site of London’s alternative cultures. So, if you’re planning a trip to the UK capital and fancy trying something different, our alternative gay London guide will set you up nicely… This tolerant and welcoming city celebrates difference, which is great news for London’s alternative LGBTQ peeps and visitors alike.
A melting pot of cultures, communities and ethnicities, London has one of the most diverse populations in the world.