The Return of Doris La Trine

Royal Vauxhall Tavern

LGBTQ Bar

Open

9/10

££££

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Vauxhall

The Tavern was once a Victorian hub of debauchery where the city's most exuberant eccentrics congregated to enjoy a spot of rambunctious genderfuck and dance their frilly culottes off in a roaring cacophony of decadent abandon. Thankfully, not much has changed since then. As the first building in the UK to be listed for its LGBTQ heritage, the legendary RVT remains a veritable bastion of South London's queer nightlife and rad artistic community, which is no easy feat when you consider that queer haunts across town seem to be closing down faster than you can say, 'Nah queen'. It's home to thought-provoking performance art, thought-numbing club nights, thoughtful charity nights , plus some of the most deliciously bawdy artists on the cabaret scene - it's where the party's at. Every single night.

The Glory

Queer Alternative Pub

Open

9/10

££££

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Haggerston

Sweetie, darling, stop flouncing around shitty pubs and head over to Haggerston. The Glory may look like your average East End boozer, complete with an ebony bar, friendly wine-drinkers and chilled-out tuneage, but once you make your way downstairs, it's an entirely different picture. Expect to see the Glory's infamous co-owners, John Sizzle and Jonny Woo, grace the basement's stage with their presence, along with a plethora of London's alternative cabaret performers, camp DJs, thought-provoking pieces and outlandish performance artists. The Glory wanted to forge a home for London's incredibly diverse and talented queer counterculture, and they've done a damn good job of it.

Admiral Duncan

Gay Bar & Cabaret

Open

7/10

££££

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Piccadilly Circus

The quaint little Dunky is one of the long lasting strongholds of the Old Compton gay strip, famed for having one small bar, one big room, one small stage and one big, friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Poor old Duncan was the victim of a dreadful bombing attack by some fascist dickhead back in 1999, which killed three people and seriously injured another 70. Only the perpetrator clearly underestimated the power of the LGBT community, and within a few months, the Admiral rose from the ashes like a phoenix, and continues to offer cheap afternoon bevvies and some of the best in London's cabaret scene.

Heaven

Live Music Venue & Gay Club

7/10

££££

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Charing Cross

Heaven is exactly as God intended: a huge club nestled under Charing Cross' beautiful arches, where gays, queers and good folk can mingle, watch live performances, take part in stripping competitions and sweat it out on the dance floor. The only central London venue with a thousand person capacity, it's known around town for hosting some of the biggest names in music, like Tini Tempah, Lion Babe, Nao, Kano, Kehlani and FKA Twigs. It's also famed on the queer scene for welcoming G-A-Y's biggest club nights, including Gay Porn Idol, an amateur stripping competition, where average people wobble their bits and international cabaret superstars judge them for it. We thought hell would be naughty, but Heaven is pure filth.