When it comes to queer nights out, Hackney knows what’s up. Alongside Pride parades and historic tours, the ever-trendy borough continues to host some of the best LGBTQ+ nights out in London. From kitsch cinema to cheesy karaoke, here are our picks for the top 5 LGBTQ+ destinations in Hackney.
1. Rio Cinema (Pink Palace), Dalston
The Rio is a thriving independent art deco cinema, beloved for being London’s longest-operating community cinema, and on Wednesdays, it turns pink and becomes the UK’s only weekly queer film club. Rio’s Pink Palace is a safe space to engage with queer film history, showing everything from cult lesbian dramas to documentaries on the downtown drag scene. There are guest speakers every week to put each film into the context of LGBTQ+ history. It’s a rigorous queer education from the comfort of leather armchairs.
Come for the insightful guest speakers…
…stay for the cocktail bar.
2. Colour Factory, Hackney Wick
Just around the corner from Hackney Wick station is one of the most exhilarating music venues around. Even on Monday nights, you can hear the buzz from the platform. The aptly named Colour Factory is a sea of bright, red mohawks and psychedelic silhouettes dancing to relentless live music. While it is not an exclusively queer venue, it prides itself on an inclusive ethos and its queer-specific nights out are second to none. Keep your eyes peeled for the Pxssy Palace parties, nights that explicitly prioritise queer people of colour (but are also great for any fans of Cher or Diana Ross). And if this all sounds too intense, fear not: all of Colour Factory’s queer nights have a quieter space called The Sanctuary where you can rehydrate, recharge your phone, and then get back to the dancefloor.
Come for the afrobeats and moreish dancehall music…
…stay for the dancing in the smoking area.
3. The Glory, Haggerston
Only a year after it opened, The Glory made the Hackney Post’s list of LGBTQ+ hotspots in 2015 and we are still loving it in 2023. Its friendly East End pub atmosphere, outrageous drag performances and fabulous basement discos are getting better and better. Its quiz ‘The Weakest Twink’ is a particular highlight. In 2021, the final of the drag king battle, MAN UP, launched by The Glory’s legendary patrons, Jonny Woo and John Sizzle, was watched at the Clapham Grand by 1200 fans. MAN UP returns to Haggerston on 22nd March and promises to be bigger than ever.
Come for the incredibly witty stage names (especially ‘Bi-curious George’)…
…stay for the late-night lipsync battles.
4. Dalston Superstore, Dalston
Dalston Superstore is the titan of LGBTQ+ nightlife and for good reason. A cafe by day and a queer club by night, since it opened in 2009 its events have gained cult status in the queer community. Superstore’s Trans Vision Night every Wednesday are bread and butter for London’s trans population and its weekend brunches are magnets for bleary-eyed partygoers stumbling straight from some of the other venues on this list, searching for breakfast. And if all-nighters aren’t your thing, Superstore has also got your daytime needs covered with its exhibitions of queer and subversive art.
Come for the morning coffee and all-day brunch…
…stay for the all-night parties, right to the last song.
5. The Karaoke Hole, Dalston
The Karaoke Hole describes itself as Dalston Superstore’s “cheeky little sister” and it is a perfect way to lose your inhibitions and warm up your voice for an all-night party just up the road. Open from 7pm, it is a LGBTQ+-powered cocktails-and-cabaret fest and Friday and Saturday nights are karaoke nights hosted by up and coming drag artists. This venue is not as well-known as the others on our list and is entirely free of artsy pretension. You can belt out the cheesiest pop throwbacks without a care in the world.
Come for the latest drag talent…
…stay for the chance to showcase your cover of Mr Brightside.
