Brighton & Hove is unofficially referred to as the LGBTQIA+ capital of Britain and we are proud to be a friendly and welcoming city for all of our visitors.
You'll find that the whole city is friendly with all of our accommodation, shops, pubs, bars & clubs being open to all, although Kemptown is the bustling heart of the LGBTQIA+ community, with a relaxed village feel. In this area you will find boutique hotels, elegant eateries, delicious delis and lifestyle shops as well as pubs and bars.
Brighton Pride
Brighton Pride is one of the biggest Pride festivals in the UK attracting approximately 160,000 visitors to the annual parade and party in Preston Park. The festival also includes an arts and film festival; dog show and village party. It’s not all fun and frivolity as Brighton Pride is a Pride with Purpose – to raise funds and awareness supporting local charities and community organisations. To find out more see the official Brighton Pride website.
People often talk about Gay Brighton but the city is proud to be welcoming to the whole community and every summer we have a Trans Pride Festival – putting the ‘T’ first. Trans Pride aims to eliminate discrimination by promoting equality and diversity through visibility. The July festival includes a march and a party in a park. For more details visit the Trans Pride website
Events
There are LGBTQIA+ events happening throughout the year so remember to check our What's On section to keep up-to-date. Events to look out for include the Brighton Bear Weekender in July and Komedia's regular club nights including Gal Pals, Down the Hatch and Bent Double. Ironworks Studios is the home of Brighton & Hove Pride with an ongoing season of cabaret, comedy and live music celebrating LGBTQIA+ culture & diversity. The Attenborough Centre is the new home for Marlborough Productions who continue to support the UK's best performance artists.
Private bookings for Only in Brighton's Piers & Queers LGBT History Tour are availble at any time. The tour reveals the history of Brighton from a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer perspective in a colourful 90-minute walk along the beach and historic city centre.
The Ledward Centre
In Jubilee Square is The Ledward Centre - Brighton's LGBTQIA+ Community & Cultural Centre. The venue is named after James Ledward who was one of the city's most prominent supporters of LGBTQIA+ rights. The venue is also the office for the magazine GScene. To find out more visit The Ledward Centre website.
Gaydio
Gaydio brings the beat of Gay UK to Brighton on 97.8 FM – whether it’s their dance and up-tempo pop playlist or lively on-air team, they’ve got the soundtrack to your Brighton visit sorted. Ask your smart-speaker to “play Gaydio Brighton”.
Weddings
If you are planning to say ‘I Do’ then Brighton & Hove has a wide variety of wedding venues including hotels and iconic attractions such as The Royal Pavilion, Brighton Palace Pier and Brighton i360. Find out more on our Weddings page.
to add an item to your Itinerary basket.
Ironworks Studios is a unique multi-purpose studio and event space in the middle of Brighton, just a 5 minute walk from the main train station with an audience reception and licensed café bar.
Situated opposite Brighton’s iconic palace pier, R-Bar is your favourite queer bar, with breathtaking lighting & art installations, food provided by Pizzaface, artwork by the UK’s finest queer artists, and loads of drink deals to keep you going no matter which day of the week it is.
