Gay Bars Vauxhall

London is one of the UK's biggest and most popular cities to visit, so you need to know how to narrow down the places to party. Manplay.com has the gay bars Vauxhall guide to visit. Take out the guesswork of which club or bar is good and which ones to pass on. We can help you. This south London district has tons of gay clubs and bars for nights out on the town; we have a list of some of the top spots. From fetish clubs to pubs, Vauxhall's gay bars cater to all facets of the gay community looking for lively nightlife activities.

History Of Gay Bars Vauxhall Scene

When it comes to Vauxhall gay bars, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern is the oldest and most historic. Built in 1863, it was originally a Victorian music hall, but attracted gay men and servicemen returning from war after WWII. The venue held drag shows, and added 2 bars by 1975, making it, technically, the first Vauxhall gay bar. In it's heyday, the bar was used as a stage, so prior to every cabaret and drag show, patrons and bartenders would clear off the bar surface of glasses so performers could hit the "stage". The public bar area in those days did attract gay men, but mainly local workers. The lounge area of the venue is where the majority of gay patrons would come. Freddy Mercury was a regular patron and performer to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in the 1970s. As time went on, the bar became known for being a gay bar in the community, where tons of top drag artists performed in the 70s and 80s. Although it was known to be gay bar, or perhaps because of this, some clientele would disguise themselves to save from being recognized entering a gay bar, especially celebrities. Even Princess Diana visited the venue in drag as a man so she would be incognito. She went unnoticed because attention was focused on Freddy Mercury, who she had attended with as well as a few other famous faces of the time. In 2005, under new ownership, the bar renovated to become more of a club and party sort of place. A new sound system and lighting was put in and it opened it's doors every day of the week. It was slated to be condemned and torn down, but in 2015 it became designated as an important piece of LGBT history in London. Because of this, it was given historical status and was saved from ever being torn down.

Aside from the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, the area of Vauxhall was and is a growing gay community. It's recently been designated as a gay village, whereas previously the only officially recognized London gay area was Soho. This area became know as "Voho". More and more gay bars and gay clubs are opening in the district, and not just gay ones. Businesses are attracted to the area because of it's growing popularity. A few of the first gay clubs are still around, while others have changed hands and names over the years. Some of the bars occupy the railway arches, which makes for really interesting decor and atmosphere. For a long time, Vauxhall was the place to go if you wanted to get away from commercialized London nightlife and hit a more underground club scene. It's becoming more commercialized with the growing popularity and number of bars, including gay bars, cropping up in the area. It's still a great area for gay people to come to party and socialize, but it's not directly aimed at gay entertainment exclusively. A lot of crowds in this nightlife scene are mixed gay and straight, though some events, like Hard On, do cater only to gay men as clientele. Though it is technically more commercialized than it was in the 1980s and 90s, it's made great strides for the gay community. Gay men can go out and know that they don't have to travel far in order to have a great night.

Best Time And Day To Go Out To Vauxhall Gay Bars

The absolute best days to go to Vauxhall gay bars is after 21:00 on a weekend. Many of these bars are open throughout the week, but the best shows and parties are on Fridays and Saturdays. Most of these bars and clubs don't open their doors until at least 21:00 and stay open well into the night - roughly 3 or 4am. If you aren't ready to call it a night around 3am, then there are venues hosting after-hours parties as well. Some of the more targeting events, like fetish events, change depending on the month so you want to check the listings for the club or event you want to attend. Fetish club events tend to have strict dress codes as well, so if you want to check out this scene make sure you check the requirements for entry so you aren't turned away at the door. The area of gay bars Vauxhall always has a bar or club open with something going on, so there's aways a place to party and something to do. If you're looking to avoid big crowds and busy times then check out the bars during the week.

List Of Vauxhall Gay Bars And Clubs

There are tons of gay bars and clubs in Vauxhall, but not all of them are geared toward gay patrons. However, most of them are, and all of them are extremely gay-friendly. Being located in the new gay village of London, the entire area is lined with bars and clubs for you to choose from. It's easy to bar and club-hop as well, so you can try and get them all in in one night, but chances are you'll have to come back for more! These are the 8 most popular and highest rated Vauxhall gay bars and clubs at the moment.

THE ROYAL VAUXHALL TAVERN

Type: Gay bar/pub
Space: Massive Victorian music hall. Large old fashioned-style bar, tables with stools, and a stage for acts. Separate rooms available for rent for hosting private events.
Crowd: All kinds, all ages
Address: 372 Kennington Lane
Website:www.vauxhalltavern.com
Any Notes: Location of many club nights and drag shows throughout the week
Brief Description: The oldest and most historic gay bar in the city, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern is now home to some of the best drag acts and parties around. A chill and upbeat place to go with friends for drinks, a show, and a good time.

EAGLE LONDON

Type: Club
Space: Outdoor patio, DJ booth and large dance floor
Crowd: Mixed, but mostly men cruising.
Address: 349 Kennington Lane
Website:www.eaglelondon
Any Notes: Weekly drag shows, wrestling nights, and DJ parties.
Brief Description: Eagle is an independent gay club that hosts weekly events, but can also be a good place for patio drinks. Their large outdoor space provides a great place to chat and hang out, then you can go inside and dance!

THE HOIST

Type: Gay fetish club
Space: Cozy and dark, areas set up for sex play and fetish activities and dancing.
Crowd: Gay men, fetishists
Address: 47b-47c Railway Arches
Website:www.thehoist.co.uk
Any Notes: Strict dress codes depending on the event. Cruising venue.
Brief Description: This is a fetish club that almost exclusively attracts gay men as their clientele. Each day hosts a different event that requires different dress codes so check the site to verify so you don't get turned away at the door. Explore your fetishes here!

HARD ON AT UNION

Type: Fetish event
Space: Union nightclub: large dance floor, colour lasers, dark rooms, wet area, private cubicles and outdoor smoke shop.
Crowd: 95% gay men; bears, twinks, muscle boys, etc.
Address: 66 Albert Embankment
Website:www.hardonclub.co.uk
Any Notes: Monthly fetish party at Union. Strict dress code of leather, rubber, sports kits, skin, military or just boots, absolutely no jeans or casual wear.
Brief Description: This is an ongoing fetish event that's hosted on the third Saturday of every month at different clubs, but most frequently takes place at Union. It's a hardcore scene that is not for the faint of heart. If you want to get your kink on, then definitely check this out.

FIRE

Type: Nightclub
Space: Industrial-style, large space. 3 neon-lit rooms for drinking and dancing
Crowd: Mixed, younger and harder partying crowd
Address: 39 Parry Street
Website:
Any Notes:
Brief Description: This massive club spans across 10 railway arches, and hosts music and dance parties mornings, afternoons, and nights. This is a party central type of club where serious club-hoppers flock to. Open most nights, this is a place to check out if you're in the mood to dance and party.

UNION

Type: Club
Space: Located in a railway arch, massive dance floor.
Crowd: Mixed, mostly gay men
Address: 66 Albert Embankment
Website: ~~www.clubwrong.com~~
Any Notes: Open 7 nights a week hosting after-hours dance parties
Brief Description: This club is open for partying every night of the week, so you don't have to wait until the weekend if you want to dance and meet hot men. The space also hosts monthly special events geared toward specific crowds, like fetishists.

PROTOCOL LONDON

Type: Nightclub
Space: 3 separate spaces: The Temple is the dance space affixed with advanced lighting and sound. The Lounge is versatile, it can be a seating area or a second dance floor. And Luxurious area is a quieter room with booths for seating.
Crowd: Mixed, clubbing elite. Higher-end, sophisticated but welcoming and non-exclusive
Address: 6 South Lambeth Place
Website: ~~protocol-london.com~~
Any Notes: Newest club in the area.
Brief Description: Created as a bespoke nightlife area for the elite clubbing crowd, this space has tons of areas that can cater to any desire that you'd want in a club. Ample space for dancing, designated seating areas to talk and drink, and bars throughout.

CLUB NO.65

Type: Club
Space: Factory-style with an underground feel. 2 floors, 4 bars and an outdoor patio. VIP area with bar also available
Crowd: Mixed but a definite gay presence.
Address: 65 Albert Embankment
Website: ~~www.clubno65.co.uk~~
Any Notes: Formerly known as Factory Club.
Brief Description: This club spans 2 railway arches, and is a friendly and open space for people to dance and party all night. A non-cruisy atmosphere creates a great place to drink and party with your friends while you get to listen to some top notch DJ music and experience the best lighting and sound around.

Gay Bars Vauxhall Summary

Vauxhall has become the new gay district in south London, colloquially called "Voho", so more and more new gay bars are popping up all over the area that might be missing from this list. Soho is still the first officially recognized gay village, but it's more commercialized than Vauxhall has become currently. There's still an underground element to the gay clubs Vauxhall scene, and it’s not just the railway arches. Many of the gay bars in Vauxhall are great cruising spots, unless otherwise stated. Since a lot of the clubs are gay friendly or hosting exclusively gay events, it's a great area to meet men if you're looking for that. It's also a good place to go just to hang out and party with friends; it's a very versatile space. There are different kinds of events happening in all of these places so whatever you feel like doing, you're sure to find it in a Vauxhall gay bar.