An LGBTQ+ guide to Brighton & Hove: the events, venues and areas to visit

The latest England and Wales census data revealed what many have known for many moons and rainbows: Brighton and Hove is one the gayest places in the UK. According to the statistics, more than one-in-10 people city-wide identify as LGBorT, and the highest of the wards is Kemptown, at a staggering 20.2 per cent. Unsurprisingly, it’s here that the majority of the gay attractions reside: bars, clubs, restaurants, hotels, and beach areas are designated as primarily aimed at our LGBTQ+ communities.

The city is in the midst of a welcome urban regeneration and new-openings boom. The brand-new Valley Gardens scheme has spruced up the main artery into town, leading you swiftly to the famous Brighton Palace Pier and up into Kemptown, where the last year has ushered in a transformation of the famous be-pebbled shoreline.

Soho House’s Brighton Beach House is open for business, with direct views over the sea and pier, where guests can dip into the saucy banana-shaped pool specially designed by artist David Shrigley. Further along Kemptown seafront, new fishing hut-style kiosks have been completed, housing everything from yoga studios to paddleboarding outlets, the Bison Beach Bar to art galleries. The other side of the super-cute Volks electric railway line, which runs from the Pier to Black Rock for access to the Marina, is the new Sea Lanes 50-metre swimming pool which is heated. Sitting atop the beach’s famous pebbles, it’s adjacent to the Yellowave Beach Sports volleyball courts, which have been laid with sand. Well-considered marine planting and the fabulous on-beach boardwalk have made this area, on a sunny day, stunning. And, of course, Brighton’s nudist beach (which attracts many a gay man) is just a flip-flop skip away.

Despite all the refreshments, echoes of Brighton’s gay and lesbian past are palpable. Passing the India-inspired Brighton Pavilion, one can imagine The Prince Regent’s indulgent dos that kickstarted the city’s reputation for carefree cavorting around 200 years ago. The ghosts of Pride protest marches in the days of Section-28 legislation are apparent, and the shadows of Brighton’s fierce fightback against HIV and Aids during the eighties and nineties can be felt. Ever-increasing numbers of people still move here to find the freedom to be themselves, and the city is now seemingly more eager than ever to live up to its London-by-the-Sea label.

The Queer Quarter

Brighton’s gay village is nestled around Kemptown’s St. James’s Street, which runs one-block-back parallel to Kemptown's seafront. It’s here you’ll find the majority of the LGBTQ+ bars and pubs, including on-trend Charles Street Tap, live singer- and drag queen-focused Centre Stage (formerly The Amsterdam) with its sea vista terrace, the Miami Queer-themed R-Bar, a glittery stalwart of the drag scene, the Queens Arms, the karaoke-keen and bear-baiting Bulldog, the tiny, traditional Marine Tavern and the ‘underwater’ Nautilus Lounge, which offers table service cocktails and pianist nights. Notable is the sleek cocktail space Affinity Bar, which offers Icelandic ice bar-like lighting, a friendly mixed crowd and a penchant for quality spirits (try the new Tom of Finland vodka), as well as drag cabaret. A new venue, Glamorous Bar, is due to open on the site of Lé Village gay pub later in 2023. Further into Kemptown, The Camelford Arms is metres from the sea and serves giant portions of pub grub in bare brick, warm surroundings; Fallen Angel is gay-owned and cosy; and the new Malta-inspired Arcobaleno is on a mission to ‘redefine queer culture’ (more on that in a bit).

It’s a testament to the city’s gay friendliness that the venues opposite Brighton’s Grade I-listed Pier are floor-to-ceiling windowed, out and proud and prominently positioned.

And there’s more, over towards Hove, where you’ll find the cosy Bedford Tavern, snug drag venue The Grosvenor (cue Sondheim and sequins!), which has recently undergone a major refurbishment, and lesbian-oriented Velvet Jacks, which runs regular girls-only nights.

The 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. On St. James’s Street, The Trans Pride Centre is run by trans people, for trans people, and offers a hub for advice and support.

Where to eat and drink

Tutto

Sister restaurant to the famed Burnt Orange, The Coal Shed, and The Salt Room, Tutto is the city’s swankiest new Italian and offers a sense of grandeur, with its old bank exterior and smart outside terrace. The long, gorgeous bar is perfect for a cocktail starter, and their Café Negroni, which adds Café Borgetti to the gin, Campari favourite, is divine. Tutto has launched a new weekday lunch and early evening set menu, which is a great way to sample some of the best Italian dishes their chefs have to offer. There’s sardine fish & chips, and the giant raviolo is filled with pea, spinach and mascarpone with runny egg yolk that spills out onto the plate to mix with the olive oil, roasted pine nuts and fried sage leaves.

Address: Tutto, 20–22 Marlborough Place, Brighton BN1 1UB
Website: tutto-restaurant.co.uk

Block

Slap bang in the heart of St James’s Street, Block is Ben Gill and Kim Doherty’s ‘urban day club’ decked out with pink furniture and walls, and artworks of gay icons, including Freddie Mercury and Grace Jones by The Postman. Inspired by the owners’ globetrotting, it evokes Miami glamour alongside Ibiza DJ vibes with regular afternoon parties that whip you away from the bustle and into, well, a better one. It offers frozen cocktails, a carefully curated wine list, and the elevated burgers and snacks will keep you fuelled all day. Block also hosts one of the biggest street parties during Brighton Pride – the party at the centre of the party.

Address: Block, 101 St James’s Street, Brighton, BN2 1TP
Website: blockbar.co.uk

Arcobaleno

Walking into Arcobaleno is like entering a colourful other world where rainbows shimmer across walls, plants sprout from walls, and neon signs glimmer with comforting words. ‘No place like home’ beams a pink one, neatly summing up the concept of the venue: a space where everyone is welcome, and you can simply be yourself. But there’s much more to rejoice about: it’s the city’s proud Maltese cuisine food spot; it creates unique, in-house conjured cocktails with themes including Mean Girls and ABBA; and there are float-loads of entertainment that mainly involve drag, dress-up, and letting go. You’ll feel like you’re not in Kemp-sas anymore (just ask the pair of Dorothy-Wizard-of-Oz glittery ruby slippers poking out from the wall).

Address: Arcobaleno, 120 St George's Road, Kemptown, Brighton BN2 1EA
Website: myarcobaleno.com

Brighton Beach House by Soho House

Brighton Beach House stands proudly on the seafront, overlooking Brighton Palace Pier. Set across two floors, it draws inspiration from Art Deco architecture and is finished with beautiful vintage furniture, specially designed pieces, and contributions from local craftspeople and artists. Nodding to the city’s LGBTQ+ communities, it hosts Drag Bingo nights and a large collection of queer art as a ‘love letter to Brighton’, including pieces by David Hockney and Maggi Hambling. Restaurant Club Cecconi’s serves authentic Venetian-inspired dishes that rotate with the seasons.

Address: Brighton Beach House, The Terraces, Madeira Drive, Brighton BN2 1AY
Website: sohohouse.com

Burnt Orange

The evocatively named Burnt Orange burst onto the Brighton scene in June 2021 as the latest offering from restauranteur Razak Helalat, purveyor of steak-focused The Coal Shed and fish-fancy The Salt Room. It has a sleek interior, plus a bijou cobbled outdoor terrace perfect for summer days. In a 16th-century coach house slap-bang in the famous Lanes, the team slings out a range of small plates. Top tries are the smoked miso aubergine, and crispy smoked lamb shoulder cigars with Padron yoghurt. And for pudding, you can’t go wrong with the Sparkling Sorbet, made with Grey Goose L’Orange, Cointreau, elderflower cordial, and prosecco, with a plop of Lemon Sorbet dunked in to absorb it all.

Address: Burnt Orange, 59 Middle Street, Brighton, BN1 1AL
Website: burnt-orange.co.uk

Tørstigbar

Fresh on the scene, Tørstigbar is Brighton’s low-alcohol bar, conjuring quite incredible cocktails from the best low and no-ABV bottles on the market (Tørstig means thirsty in Danish). Although not strictly a gay bar, it’s in the heart of the gay village and supports the LGBTQ+ community with regular donations to local charities.

Address: Tørstigbar, 45 George Street, Brighton BN2 1RJ
Website: torstigbar.com

DaddyLonglegs

Head Chef Adam Janman is on a mission to elevate gastropub food and he’s working his magic - DaddyLonglegs is now a destination foodie paradise. Located on the outskirts of Kemptown, adjacent to the beautiful Thomas Cubitt-designed Lewes Crescent, the pub is named after inventor Magnus Volk’s long-derelict in-sea electric railway. The Daddy, as it’s known to locals, offers small plates of pure joy that change regularly, alongside a carefully curated wine list featuring essentials from local estates as well as global producers. The venue recently launched Yakatori Fridays, celebrating delicious Asian nibbles and cocktails.

Address: DaddyLonglegs, 1 Arundel Road, Kemptown, Brighton BN2 5TE
Website: daddylonglegs.co.uk

Embers

If you’re visiting Brighton’s famous Lanes, Embers is a great new stop-off for supper. It offers small plates of beautiful, glazed meats and earthy vegetables cooked over a spectacular medieval wood-fire cage in the middle of the restaurant floor. Headed up by city chef royalty Isaac Bartlett-Copeland and Dave Marrow, it’s a revelation. The team even plays the sound of crackling embers to the narrow street outside, luring you in. And these are some of the best cocktails in town, with theatrics aplenty.

Address: 42 Meeting House Lane, Brighton BN1 1HB
Website: embersbrighton.co.uk

Nightlife

Legends Resort

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, 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.

Address: Legends Resort, 31-34 Marine Parade, Brighton BN2 1TR
Website: legendsresortbrighton.com

Club Revenge

Opened in 1991, 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 breathtaking LED lighting array, Berlin-inspired décor, dancing cages and more VIP areas. To top things off, their amazing roof terrace has spectacular views over the city, the sea, and the pier. Its sister venue, Bar Revenge, is just around the corner.

Address: Club Revenge, 32-34 Old Steine, Brighton BN1 1EL
Website: revenge.co.uk

The Plotting Parlour

This atmospheric, gothic-dream-décor speakeasy-style cocktail bar is perfectly placed in a side street near the entrance to the Gay Village for a fill of sensational, mixologist-designed drinks. The focus is firmly on the customer and the unique cocktails created in-house, including the chocolate-covered-glass Tumi (with Pisco and Mezcal) and Flight of the Buffalo, which showcases the ageing process of bourbon. The best seats are the vintage cinema chairs at the back – but don’t forget to explore upstairs.

Address: The Plotting Parlour, 6 Steine Street, Brighton, BN2 1TE
Website: theplottingparlour-brighton.co.uk

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, 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, and they trade on a warm welcome.

Address: The Kempton Klub, 75 St George’s Road, Brighton, BN2 1EF
Website: facebook.com

What to see

Ironworks Studios

Just a short hop from the main station and bordering the famous North Laine quarter, Ironworks is the city’s Brighton Pride-owned, 170-seater LGBTQ+ performance space and TV studio. It offers a frankly incredible programme of musicians, comedians, drag queens and poets alongside emerging theatre productions. Frequent highlights include Cabaret Boheme’s burlesque from the mistress of ceremonies Veronica Blacklace and burlesque Diva extraordinaire, Allegra Rose. All productions also support LGBTQ+ charities and community groups, including the Brighton Rainbow Fund, the Pride Community Foundation and Pride Cultural Development Fund.

Address: Ironworks Studios, 30 Cheapside, Brighton, BN1 4GD
Website: ironworks-studios.co.uk

LGBTQ+ Walking Tour: Piers and Queers

Gender-bending doctors, Regency Dandies, drag kings, and a host of fabulous fancies spring to life as this 90-minute, time-travelling guided tour immerses you in 200 years of Brighton’s colourful LGBTQ+ history. Follow in the footsteps of the early Gay Liberation Front members, stand where some of the first legal civil partnerships took place, and explore the oft-forgotten stories of figures including author Aubrey Beardsley, 19th-Century trans man Colonel Barker and Anne Lister, known as ‘the first modern lesbian’.

Website: onlyinbrighton.co.uk/piers-queers

Brighton Museum’s Queer the Pier exhibition

Brighton’s beautiful museum, housed in the Pavilion’s old stables, hosts an array of curated LGBTQ+ memorabilia inspired by the queer writers, artists, performers, activists and everyday people of the town’s past. Highlights include the rusty Adler typewriter on which the godfather of gay journalism Peter Burton documented decades of queer history for Gay Times and clothing worn by artist and gender-fluidity trailblazer Gluck. Check out the Queer Looks exhibition too, which gathers together the outfits of LGBTQ+ identities from the 1960s to today.

Website: brightonmuseums.org.uk

Where to stay

Drakes of Brighton

Since opening in 2004 across two Georgian townhouses, Drakes has been a consistent favourite in town, conjuring Prince Regent-like living with views of the pier, in-room roll-top baths and fancy curved panelling and stucco cornicing. A short skip from the Gay Village, it’s where Kylie stays when she’s in town and from where actor Cate Blanchett live-streamed her Oscar acceptance speech in 2005.

Address: Drakes of Brighton, 43-44 Marine Parade, Brighton, BN2 1PE

The Artist Residence

Set in Regency Square with views of the derelict West Pier and the i360 tower, this hotel cleverly condenses the creative, bohemian and eccentric spirit of Brighton into its 24 rooms. It was the first project by founders Charlotte and Justin Salisbury, who have since taken their ethos around the country.

Address: The Artist Residence, 33 Regency Square, Brighton, BN1 2GG

Hotel Pelirocco

Something of a jewel on Brighton’s hotel map, Pelirocco is famed for its 19 individually designed, rock ‘n’ roll-themed rooms. Housed in a double-fronted Regency townhouse in Regency Square, opposite the city’s i360 attraction and West Pier ruins, it screams Brighton and is designed for weekend fun and sauciness (much like the city itself). New for 2023 is the Salon Rouge, loosely based on Moulin Rouge with French glamour and theatrics. Bettie’s Boudoir is Jackie Collins leopard print kitsch and dedicated to American pin-up Bettie Page; The Leigh Bowery room celebrates the gay performance artist’s image; and the Dollywould room immerses you into a Ms Parton country cabin, with memorabilia complete with oversized wigs and boots. Dressing up and quirky fun is encouraged.

Address: Hotel Pelirocco, 10 Regency Square, Brighton BN1 2FG UK

LGBTQ+ events

Brighton Fringe

Almost every spot in the city becomes a venue for the largest open-access arts festival in England, with more than 1,000 events and a sparklingly large amount of LGBTQ+ content at venues across the city.

When: May and June
Website: brightonfringe.org

Brighton Bear Weekend

Brighton Bear Weekend focuses on our furry friends and their fans. Events include cabaret, garden picnics, a Mr Brighton Bear contest and an ‘UnderBear’ night, where Y-fronts and hairy chests are king. Or queen.

When: July
Website: brightonbearweekend.com

Trans Pride

Trans Pride is where the trans, intersex, gender variant and queer communities come together to celebrate unique histories and promote visibility. Trans activists adding prominence to the event include writer Juno Dawson, historian E-J Scott and children’s author Sarah Savage. The seafront march is a colourful, banner-waving highlight.

When: July
Website: transpridebrighton.org

Brighton Pride

The UK’s biggest Pride event attracts more than 300,000 to parade, party and perform. Recent headliners include Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue and Pet Shop Boys. In a world of Pride events, Brighton’s stands out, and the festival encompasses almost the entire city in rainbows and joy. The truly unmissable weekend (usually the first in August) starts with an enormous parade along the Regency seafront before snaking directly through the centre of the city and ends with street parties in the gay village.

When: August
Website: brighton-pride.org