The 7 best Birmingham gay bars and clubs

Fancy a night out on a Tuesday? No problem. It’s no exaggeration to say that The Village Inn is lively whatever day of the week it may be – with something happening every night, Monday through to Sunday. While others flitter in and out of identity crises, The Village Inn has stood true to form as one of the longest-established and most popular cabaret bars in the ‘gaybourhood’.

The Fox is the only venue in the gay quarter to market itself to gay women and their friends. Owned by the much loved Andy King, The Fox offers women and men gay, straight, transgender (and pretty much anyone) a space to socialise, let loose and forget about troubles.

From very humble beginnings, and after relocating three times, The Nightingale has grown into one of the UK’s most popular gay superclubs, with bus-loads of LGBTQ+ revellers and their friends flocking to the club from all corners of the Midlands for monthly programmes and more.

Right in the middle of Hurst Street, Equator is hard to miss with its large glass frontage and charming interior. It’s a particular favourite among men and the transgender community.

Perfectly placed in the vicinity of Chinatown and the Gay Village, the Loft is a decadent and fun bar that provides the perfect launchpad for a night on the town. Located on Bromsgrove Street – close to a host of other gay venues, including Sidewalk, The Village and the famous Nightingale – Loft Lounge is also within easy reach of Chinatown’s restaurants and the Hippodrome theatre.

Originally a 1930s car showroom, Sidewalk became Laurie’s International Club in 1996, in time for Birmingham’s first-ever gay pride. Little do people know, this venue – now known as Sidewalk – is somewhat of a historical cornerstone. With glass panels from floor to ceiling, the bar was the first in the gay village to be opened up to street views, offending attitudes at a time when some still saw gay people as deviants.

Missing is here and glaringly queer, greeting revellers as the very first point of call upon entering gay town. Together with a larger-than-life statue of Marilyn Monroe, which has somehow found its way onto a rooftop ledge at the front of the building (how did they even get it up there?), a rainbow flag that spans the entire length of the venue and Hurst Street’s iconic lifesize glittery rhino just opposite, Missing certainly takes extravagant to the next level.