Ironworks Studios

The Kemptown Klub feels more like joining a friendly local social club than walking into a conventional bar. This small independent over-25s members’ venue specialises in well-made cocktails, wine and beer, with quizzes, bingo, DJs and occasional parties adding some gentle energy to the week. Membership can be arranged in person. Downstairs, The Bothy provides an even cosier whisky-focused hideaway with tartan walls and plenty of space for conversation. Madam Lola’s is almost next door, while the main Kemptown gay scene around St James’s Street is an easy walk away. The crowd leans towards LGBTQ+ locals and regulars looking for conversation and good drinks rather than a big club night.

Legends is an award-winning hotel on the seafront with a unique subterranean club space. With great food and music, this basement club and bar is a hidden underground gem. During the day, the pub space serves coffee and light meals on a beautiful terrace, while at night the basement club opens and the party spreads across both floors of the venue. The party starts late and lasts into the early hours, with great music and people.

Brighton's oldest gay bar offers a whole host of entertainment including karaoke and regular house DJs. Weekly cabaret and great deals on drinks attract a mixture of gay men who are looking for a good time. The Bulldog is a well-loved local hangout with friendly staff to welcome everyone in. If you want to get involved in the local crowd then definitely try the karaoke.

Ironworks Studios is less a conventional gay bar and more one of Brighton’s most useful LGBTQ+ entertainment venues. Home to Brighton Pride CIC, its programme regularly features drag, cabaret, burlesque, comedy and queer cultural events alongside the broader Forge Comedy Club schedule. A licensed café/bar serves events in the flexible performance space. The location beside Brighton Station and North Laine puts it away from Kemptown’s traditional gay-bar cluster, but makes it exceptionally easy to reach from almost anywhere in the city. The audience depends on the show, with Pride at Ironworks events drawing a particularly broad LGBTQ+ crowd across ages and identities.

A community pub in the heart of Kemptown, Brighton's gay hub. It's a pub with no attitude, just friendly folk, great food, and a nice atmosphere. The kitchen serves local and classic food including vegetarian and vegan meals and a legendary Sunday roast, so there's something for everyone. To go with your meal, the pub offers a range of fine ales and wines for you to choose from.

The Ledward Centre gives Brighton’s LGBTQ+ community somewhere to meet that doesn’t revolve around alcohol or nightlife. The refurbished Jubilee Street centre combines café and social space with community events, support groups, workshops and cultural activities, providing a particularly useful daytime alternative to the city’s bars and clubs. It sits beside Jubilee Library in central Brighton, around eight minutes from the railway station and within walking distance of both North Laine and Kemptown. The crowd is genuinely broad across the LGBTQ+ spectrum, including trans and non-binary visitors, older community members, younger people and allies. Come for coffee, an organised event or simply a welcoming queer space in the middle of the city.