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Gay Bars: Blackpool
Are you looking for the best of Blackpool gay bars? Then this ManPlay.com article is for you! We have history, best bets, and a directory of great local gay bars! We have great gay bar information on cities all over the world, but this particular article is all about gay bars Blackpool!
Blackpool is a town that lies along England's northwest coast, bordering the Irish Sea. In the 18th century, it was popular as a summer getaway location by the fashionable Englanders. Now, Blackpool’s most popular attractions are the Blackpool Tower, Blackpool Illuminations, the Pleasure Beach, Sandcastle Water Park, Blackpool Zoo, the Winter Gardens, and—of course—their bounty of Blackpool gay bars!
Now that you have a brief introduction to the town of Blackpool, let’s dive into the good stuff: The History of Blackpool Gay Bars.
Gay Bars Blackpool: A History
Blackpool is often called the "gay capital of the North". It has long been a haven for the LGBT community, and has had gay bars long before the town first started openly celebrating Gay Pride in 2006. Blackpool, along with many other seaside English towns, was historically known for their courtesy toward those people of the LGBT persuasion who could not yet be openly gay due to fear of social humiliation and persecution, not to mention violence. For many, many years, the Blackpool gay bars had a reputation for being safe spaces for gay people and the LGBT community long before they were officially labelled as gay bars. During World War II, Blackpool had a sudden boom of cafes, pubs, and clubs that became known as places where gay men could safely and secretly meet.
Once the 1990s rolled around, Blackpool was fully promoting itself as one of England’s top gay tourist destinations! The town was no longer just accepting the gay community—they were praising, promoting, embracing, and celebrating it! Now today, there are dozens of extremely popular attractions aimed at the LGBT community in the town, with a lot of those being Blackpool gay bars, gay clubs, and gay pubs. Below, in our gay bars Blackpool directory, you will find our top choices for gay bars Blackpool and know everything you need to know in order to plan your night out on the town!
Gay Bars Blackpool: Best Bets
In the gay bars Blackpool scene, your "best bets" will all depend on what you are looking for. This town is not only rich in Blackpool gay bars, but they are rich in a variety of Blackpool gay bars! For example, if you are looking for Blackpool gay bars with glitz, glamour, and showmanship, then your best bet is a cabaret bar such as Funny Girls or Stillies Showbar. If you are looking for Blackpool gay bars where you can get in on the performing, then your best bet is Galleon Bar, where you can participate in nightly karaoke and Monday open mic nights. If you are looking for Blackpool gay bars that can offer a night of bumping, grinding, and cruising for new gay meat, then your best bet is one of the Blackpool gay clubs such as KAOS or Flamingo. If you are looking for Blackpool gay bars with some casual daytime eats, then your best bet is Churchills or The Flying Handbag. If you are looking for Blackpool gay bars that are open late, then your best bets are Flamingo—which is open until 5:00 or 6:00 AM every night—or Stillies Showbar—which is open until 4:00 AM every night. If you are looking for Blackpool gay bars where you can find older gay men and women, then your best bet is Churchills or Roxy’s, which are known for having older crowds.
When it comes to gay bars Blackpool, you really do have a wealth of options! With our Blackpool gay bars directory below, you will have all the information you need to choose the best Blackpool gay bar for your night out!
Gay Bars Blackpool: Directory
Visitors really are rich in options when it comes to gay clubs and gay bars Blackpool. When doing research for this article, we came across more Blackpool gay bars than we could ever hope to include! We did look hard and long, though, and we came up with nine Blackpool gay bars that we feel are the best the town has to offer. Here are our picks for the best of the best when it comes to gay bars Blackpool—this is your ultimate guide to gay bars Blackpool:
The Flying Handbag
Type: Gay BarSpace: two floors, heated patio, rooftop terrace, stage, street parking
Crowd: a little bit of everything
Address: 44 Queen Street, Blackpool, FY1 2AY, United Kingdom
Website:
Notes: open 7 days a week (12:00 PM to 2:00 AM Sunday to Thursday, 12:00 PM to 3:00 AM on Friday, and 12:00 PM to 4:00 AM on Saturday), features nightly entertainment (DJs, strippers, live music, cabaret shows, karaoke, etc.), walk-ins welcome
Description:The Flying Handbag is the only purpose-built gay bar in Blackpool. This Blackpool gay bar is colorful and inviting with a very good atmosphere. There are always drink promotions going on and their reasonably-priced menu has something that will satisfy everyone!
Funny Girls
Type: Gay BarSpace: standing and seated areas, large stage
Crowd: a little on the straighter side
Address: 5 Dickson Road, Blackpool, FY1 2AX, United Kingdom
Website:www.funnygirlsonline.co.uk
Notes: open 6 days a week (7:00 PM to 11:30 PM Tuesday to Sunday with shows starting at 8:00 PM, closed on Mondays), advanced tickets required for shows, reservations highly recommended for dinner, private bookings available
Description:Funny Girls is the #1 Blackpool gay bar for cabaret and burlesque performances. Dinner can be had before hand in the attached restaurant, and drinks are available throughout the performance. The performance changes throughout the year and includes things such as musical genres (everything from broadway shows to classic movies), tongue in cheek comedy, and current pop music interpretations.
KAOS
Type: Gay ClubSpace: outdoor seating, smoking area, stage
Crowd: 20-40, mixed gay and straight
Address: 38-42 Queen Street, Blackpool, FY1 2AY, United Kingdom
Website:
Notes: open 7 days a week (1:00 PM to 4:00 AM Monday to Wednesday, 1:00 PM to 5:00 AM Thursday to Saturday, 3:00 PM to 4:00 AM on Sunday), entry fee on weekends, nightly DJ entertainment
Description:KAOS gay club is located directed beside The Flying Handbag, making both Blackpool gay bars perfect for bar hopping. There is a variety of food and drinks available and adequate seating for groups during the day. It is also gay-owned!
Flamingo
Type: Gay ClubSpace: five levels, four bars, two dance floors
Crowd: very gay
Address: 44 Queen Street, Blackpool, FY1 2AY, United Kingdom
Website:
Notes: open 7 days a week (11:30 PM to 5:00 AM Sunday to Thursday, 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM on Friday, and 12:00 PM to 6:00 AM on Saturday), weekly themes and entertainment headliners
Description: Sandwiched right between KAOS and The Flying Handbag, Flamingo is the best of the best when it comes to gay clubs Blackpool. This is a great place to go when the other gay bars Blackpool close for the night and you are just getting started. There is music, dancing, and three different DJs to enjoy—not the mention their buy-one-get-one drink specials!
Peek-A-Booze
Type: Gay BarSpace: small bar area, stage, outdoor terrace
Crowd: mostly gay, occasional drag queens
Address: 72-74 Dickson Road, Blackpool, FY1 2AR, United Kingdom
Website:www.peekaboozehotel.com
Notes: open 7 days a week (7:00 PM to 12:30 AM Monday to Thursday, 12:00 PM to 2:00 AM Friday to Sunday between May and October, and 7:00 PM to 2:00 AM Friday to Sunday between November and April), bingo night on Wednesday, karaoke night on Thursday, and live entertainment from Friday to Sunday
Description: With Peek-A-Booze you can start your week off slow with a mellow gay bar vibe and chilled-out music, amp up with mid-week bingo and karaoke nights, and go all out with live weekend entertainment that includes drag shows, live music, comedians, and more! And no worries if you drink a bit too much or find a hot young stud to hook up with… Peek-A-Booze is also a hotel!
Churchills
Type: Gay BarSpace: outdoor seating, cozy interior
Crowd: older gay men and women
Address: 83-85 Topping Street, Blackpool, FY1 3AF, United Kingdom
Notes: open 7 days a week (10:00 AM to 11:00 PM Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM to 12:00 AM on Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM on Sunday), live music on the weekends
Description:Churchills is a long-standing, friendly gay bar in the heart of downtown Blackpool. It is often found by tourists, but mixes them well with the regular local crowd. They have a rotating tap of craft beers and lots of cheap, delicious pub food.
Roxy’s
Type: barSpace: three floors, lots of seating, large stage, balcony
Crowd: slightly older gay men
Address: 23 Queen Street, Blackpool, FY1 1NL, United Kingdom
Website:Roxy’s Facebook Page
Notes: open 6 days a week (8:30 PM to 2:00 AM Sunday to Tuesday, 8:30 PM to 2:00 AM on Thursdays, 7:00 PM to 3:00 AM on Fridays, 7:00 PM to 4:00 AM on Saturdays, closed on Wednesdays), live entertainment nightly, different daily drink specials
Description: Hosted by "International Drag Artiste Roxy Hart", Roxy’s is a fun gay bar with a light and casual atmosphere. They tend to attract a slightly older gay crowd, but it is always lively on the weekends, regardless of the attendee age range! At this Blackpool gay bar, you can get good pub food for reasonable prices while you enjoy cabaret performances, live music, DJs, and more!
Galleon Bar
Type: barSpace: small bar, small stage
Crowd: mixed gay and straight
Address: 68-70 Abingdon Street, Blackpool, FY1 1NL, United Kingdom
Website:www.galleonbarblackpool.com
Notes: open 7 days a week (7:00 PM to 3:00 AM Sunday to Thursday, 1:00 PM to 4:00 AM Friday to Saturday), open mic night on Mondays, live music performances and karaoke Tuesday to Sunday
Description:Galleon Bar serves mostly as a live music venue as opposed to strictly a gay bar, but it has attracted the gay community nevertheless. At this Blackpool gay bar, you can enjoy rotating drink and food specials while you enjoy live music, take your turn at late-night karaoke, or swing by on a Monday to participate in their weekly open mic nights!
Stillies Showbar
Type: Gay BarSpace: large stage, plenty of seating
Crowd: upscale, tourist
Address: 114 Talbot Road, Blackpool, FY1 3AY, United Kingdom
Website:
Notes: open 7 days a week from 1:00 PM to 4:00 AM, nightly three-hour live performance entertainment, advanced booking for Thursday to Sunday night shows is required
Description:Stillies Showbar stands where the beloved Blackpool gay bar Mardi Gras used to be. If you hit this gay bars Blackpool hot spot on the weekend, you will experience "A Night Like No Other". To start off, you will be greeted at the VIP entrance with a glass of champagne. Next, you will stop and rock your hottest red carpet poses for their on-site photographer. Finally, you will enjoy their famous three-hour live performance—dance numbers, cabaret, burlesque, drag, and more!—hosted by DJ Captain Ginger.
Explore Blackpool Gay Bars and Beyond
Whether you have recently relocated to Blackpool, or you are planning a trip to the region, you will have no problem finding a Blackpool gay bar that is perfect for you, your partner, and your friends!
If you are looking for other cities and towns with great gay bars, why not find out more about Soho or Edinburgh? If you want to find out about gay bars across the UK, check out our article on UK Gay Bars!
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