Discover London’s most famous LGBTQIA+ venues

Pubs and clubs have played an integral role in LGBTQIA+ history and culture, serving as key sites for many moments of activism in the community’s history. As a result, many Brits may wish to visit these venues to learn more about their heritage.

As the UK’s largest operator of LGBTQIA+ venues, Stonegate Group—MiXR’s parent company—offers numerous historic venues in London that can be booked via the app.

While most of these venues have been modernised, many still retain features from their early years.

Below is an overview of the best LGBTQIA+ venues in London available to book on MiXR:

• Kings Arms, Soho – Nestled in Poland Street since the 1700s, The Kings Arms was one of the first venues in Soho to serve the gay community as a ‘gentlemen’s bar’ in the 1970s. Officially a gay bar since 1981, The Kings Arms is now a firm favourite among bears from London and across the globe.At weekends, they feature guest and resident DJs playing disco, house, and electro beats, as well as hosting the legendary Bearaoke, which has been running for over 25 years.
• Admiral Duncan, Soho – One of central London and Soho’s oldest LGBT venues, the Admiral Duncan has been widely recognised as a gay pub since the 1980s.Offering cabaret seven nights a week, they host a variety of events catering to everyone and anyone.
• Comptons, Soho – Located in the heart of Soho’s ‘gay village’, Comptons has played an integral role in London’s gay scene since 1986. Before officially becoming a gay bar, Comptons was known as The Swiss Tavern and was renowned for being ‘not entirely straight’.
• Two Brewers, Clapham – At the heart of London’s gay scene for 40 years, Two Brewers is one of the capital’s most famous drag cabaret venues. This iconic show bar and club has hosted fabulous, glitter-filled cabaret extravaganzas for decades.
• The Retro Bar, Westminster – Tucked away down a little alley, this hidden gem is one of the West End’s friendliest gay venues. Occupying a site that has been a pub since the 17th century, Retro Bar has been a secret haven for the eccentric and alternative LGBTQIA+ crowd since the 1990s.
• Village, Soho – One of Soho’s original gay venues, Village is famed for coming to life in the evenings and lighting up Old Compton Street with its larger-than-life DJs and bar-top go-go boys.
• Halfway to Heaven, Charing Cross – Loved and cherished by the LGBTQIA+ community since 1991, Halfway to Heaven combines a local bar upstairs with a magical cabaret venue downstairs. This little gem is jam-packed with fabulous, flamboyant cabaret seven days a week and is a popular stop for those on their way to the famous nightclub Heaven.
• Duke of Wellington, Soho – Serving the LGBTQIA+ community for over 20 years, The Duke hosts regular events such as drag bingo and a weekly pub quiz, #YourWelly.

As part of its commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community, Stonegate Group has partnered with Stonewall Housing, a leading national charity supporting LGBTQIA+ individuals facing homelessness or unsafe living conditions.

For every pint of Polari Pale Ale sold, 10p will be donated to Stonewall Housing, along with 5p from every 330ml can, helping to fund essential services such as housing advice, advocacy, and specialised support.