Text and photo © Gry Ellebjerg
2026 travel guide putting queer life in your hands. Think Europe going absolute Lesbian. Covering art, film & festivals, bookshops, cafés, and clubs. It’s organised by countries and cities. Follow the 🦩 for personal stories from my time on The Pink Road. Did I miss your favourite? Let me know.
E U R O P E
🇦🇱 ALBANIA
TIRANA
NDRAGA
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A queer collective organising electronic club nights and dance events in Tirana, alongside collaborative guest editions internationally. According to the organisers, it is the first queer club initiative in Albania.
🇦🇹AUSTRIA
SALZBURG
HOSIFEST
📍Paris-Lodron-Straße 15,
The city's main queer party, organized every few months by the local LGBTQ+ organization HOSI. It functions as a massive community event since Salzburg lacks permanent lesbian bars.
TRAHÜTTEN
🛌 ABSTEIGE ZUR BÄRTIGEN THERESE
📍Alexander Kortschak Weg 6
Austria's first queer hotel. Be warned: once you arrive, you may never want to leave.
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: The Hotel Above the Clouds
As the far-right holds a steady grip on Austria, spaces for the queer community are challenged and norm-breaking people are once again under attack. But in the countryside, a queer comeback is brewing. Artists Io Tondolo and Itshe Petz have opened Absteige Zur Bärtigen Therese. Here, even the eggs come from a gay farmer.
VIENNA
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: In My Next Life I Will Reincarnate as an Artist
BOOTLEG
📍Skodagasse 17
An independent cultural venue in Vienna. The space hosts exhibitions, readings, and gatherings, including regular queer social evenings and FLINTA-centred community events.
CAFÉ SAVOY
📍Linke Wienzeile 36
Vienna's oldest gay café/bar, opened in 1897. Today it is a popular meeting place for the LGBTQ+ community.
📚CHICKLIT
📍Kleeblattgasse 7
A shop with a strong personality. The books are curated by a brilliant mind. Add a cool interior design and you have this fantastic bookstore with a wide selection of literature focusing on feminist and queer perspectives.
DYKE MARCH VIENNA
A grassroots political initiative organising an annual demonstration and community gatherings in Vienna. Held in early summer, the march serves as an anti-commercial alternative to Pride, focusing on lesbian, trans, and queer visibility through street demonstrations, political organising, and accessible community events.
FLINTE
📍Lange Gasse 11
A queer-feminist community space and association venue in Vienna. The organisation hosts regular open evenings at its venue, alongside political panel discussions, solidarity events, and workshops on queer activism, human rights, and asylum policy in collaboration with local grassroots initiatives.
KISSEN
A nightlife collective organising trans-centred queer club nights, open-air events, and music gatherings across rotating venues in Vienna. Their programming features international and local DJs, ballroom performers, and community activities such as speed dating.
LAST LITTLE HAVEN
📍Gumpendorfer Str. 68
A sapphic art bar and queer community space in Vienna. Dedicated to sapphic culture, it functions as a creative meeting ground hosting regular art exhibitions, solo acoustic concerts, single-release gigs, and drag performances
LESBEN WRESTLEN ARM
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A Vienna-based community armwrestling tournament and social night for dykes and people on the sapphic spectrum across all genders and gender expressions. The English-language events combine an open amateur armwrestling contest with an MC, referee, audience seating, and community gathering spaces at rotating cultural venues.
📚LÖWENHERZ
📍Berggasse 8
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: The Shelf Where My Story Lives
MAREA ALTA
📍Gumpendorferstraße 28
Once a lesbian bar. Now a cozy queer bar. It retains a welcoming exciting atmosphere. It’s known for its diverse events and parties. Highly recommended.
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: On the Hunt for Lesbians in Vienna
🎬 QUEERTACTICS: QUEER FEMINIST FILMFESTIVAL, AUSTRIA
11 – 15 November
Find further details on their website and Instagram.
SAPPHIC LIVING
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A community platform organising social gatherings, cultural events, and dating initiatives for sapphic women in Vienna. Founded by Christiane Peschek and Virág Belányi, the collective hosts recurring pop-up activities across rotating venues in the city, including film screenings, Sappho dinners and drinks evenings.
🎬TRICKY WOMEN/TRICKY REALITIES, AUSTRIA
11 – 15 March
Running every March since 2001, this international film festival is about animation by women and genderqueer artists. Expect competitions, curated screenings, workshops, and great networking.
TÜRKIS ROSA LILA VILLA
📍Linke Wienzeile 102
An established queer community centre and housing project founded in 1982 in Vienna. Run on queer-feminist principles with a focus on QTI*BIPOC representation, the initiative provides free and anonymous counselling, support services, cultural events, and open community groups for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer individuals.
VILLA VIDA CAFÉ
📍Linke Wienzeile 102
A queer community café located in the historic Türkis Rosa Lila Villa in Vienna. Operating as an inclusive, politically engaged social space with a focus on QTI*BIPOC and intersex solidarity, it hosts games nights, readings, and community gatherings. The venue is fully wheelchair accessible with an accessible toilet.
🇧🇪BELGIUM
MAGAZINES
GIRLS LIKE US
An independent print publication highlighting lesbian, queer, and trans perspectives. Each issue combines visual art, essays, and interviews to document queer culture. The team also cofounded Mothers and Daughters, a temporary bar and art venue in Brussels, which they documented in an anthology edition. The collective organises launch events and discussions across the city.
ANTWERP
ANTWERP QUEER ARTS FESTIVAL
August
A volunteer-run festival with queer art, performance, and cinema. Independent and anti-corporate. It focuses on political and boundary-pushing works. It’s a community-driven space built on art, activism, and coming together.
CUT
📍Grote Pieter Potstraat 21
Established by women for women, functioning as an inclusive space for the wider queer community. The venue serves drinks and hosts regular social events, DJ sets, and community gatherings.
DEN DRAAK
📍Draakplaats 1
A long-running queer café and bar located in the Zurenborg neighbourhood. It is a social meeting space for quiz nights and live sports screenings, as well as local Pride street events.
FEMALE BOYFRIENDS
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A queer collective organising club nights and cultural events for FLINTA* communities and friends across Antwerp and Brussels. Hosted at guest venues, their events combine DJ sets and electronic club music with live performances, exhibitions, and community programming.
HET ROZE HUIS
📍Draakplaats 1
Antwerp’s central LGBTQIA+ community house and meeting point. The building serves as an open space to gather, hosting regular meetups, workshops, and local groups, including Atthis, a long running grassroots collective for lesbians and queer women. It also features Café Den Draak downstairs, making it a daytime and evening base to connect with the local queer community. For more info about Atthis check their facebook page.
LSBN GRLS
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A recurring party in Antwerp organised for lesbians and FLINTA people. The events take place at guest venues across the city, featuring DJ sets and themed club nights.
BRUSSELS
À L’AISE, BIEN (ALB)
🪩 Pop Up Event
A Brussels collective organising parties and nightlife events for lesbians, women, and non-binary people. They host pop up club nights and DJ sets on dance floors outside the commercial scene. The collective is also behind the initiative to open Madrona, a permanent lesbian led cafe and community space in Brussels.
THE AGENDA
📍Plattesteen 18 20
A bar and performance venue dedicated to the LGBTQIA+ community. The space hosts weekly events including drag shows, drag king performances, viewing parties, community markets, and DJ sets.
BAD
Interactive Map and City Archive
BAD stands for Brussels Almanack Dykes, a digital initiative created by a group of dykes to map queer and feminist spaces across Brussels. The website functions as an archive showing the past, present, and future of local queer life, both online and offline. It documents venues and community initiatives through personal questionnaires and contributions from queer, trans, gender nonconforming, and non-binary people.
THE CRAZY CIRCLE
📍Rue du Prince Royale 11
An intimate and lively bar dedicated to lesbians, bi, and trans people. Running events like: DJ nights, queer slam poetry, live music, karaoke, and creative workshops. They even host Solo But Not Too Solo evenings designed to welcome anyone arriving on their own. Check their Instagram for weekly lineups.
🎬 LA DESTRUCTION DES ESPACES VIDES
📍 Rue Baron Horta 9
Queer Cinema & Podcast
A Brussels-based queer cultural platform dedicated to queer cinema and heritage. The collective runs Our Story, a monthly screening program hosted at CINEMATEK focusing on LGBTQIA+ film history, alongside Our Queer Story, a dedicated podcast exploring queer cinematic narratives. A vital touchpoint for discovering historical and contemporary queer film culture in the city.
FEMALE BOYFRIENDS
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A queer collective organising club nights and cultural events for FLINTA* communities and friends across Antwerp and Brussels. Hosted at guest venues, their events combine DJ sets and electronic club music with live performances, exhibitions, and community programming.
L-TOUR BRUSSELS
🚶 Guided Walking Tours
Founded in 2014, this non profit initiative organizes guided walking tours and educational events exploring the LGBTQIA+ history of Brussels, with a primary focus on lesbians and queer women. The guided routes uncover historical landmarks, community struggles, and prominent figures across the city. They also host talks, library visits, and maintain an online archive documenting local queer history.
MADRONA
🌱 Upcoming Project
An initiative to open a permanent lesbian bar, cafe, and community space in the center of Brussels. Curated by À L’aise, Bien with backing from the local queer community and The Crazy Circle, the project is currently in the setup phase while securing its physical venue. Follow the project on Instagram for fundraising updates and the upcoming location announcement.
MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS CLOSED 2026
🪩 Pop Up Event
A temporary bar, exhibition space, and community project focusing on lesbian, trans, and gender nonconforming people in Brussels. Initiated by the team behind the lesbian arts publication Girls Like Us alongside local activists, the project operates in short editions featuring art exhibitions, workshops, performances, and talks. The venue uses an economic model reflecting the wage gap, allowing visitors to choose pricing based on financial privilege.
🎬 PINK SCREENS QUEER FILM FESTIVAL
29 October – 8 November
Pink Screens is dedicated to alternative and experimental queer cinema. The program showcases an impertinent selection of international shorts, feature films, and documentaries that deconstruct gender and sexual binaries, complemented by art exhibitions and nightlife events.
REBELLE VZW
🪩 Pop-Up Events
A non profit organisation focused on intersectional feminism, gender equality, health, and parenting. They work to dismantle taboos surrounding bodies and sexuality through community events in Dutch, including a monthly book club, educational talks, and discussion evenings. Events take place across various local venues.
📚 ROSA VZW
📍Zennestraat 40
Founded in 1978, this specialist library and expertise centre focuses on gender, feminism, and equal opportunities. The collection houses tens of thousands of books, periodicals, and archived documents available for on site reading, research, and borrowing. The space provides public study desks, computer access, and hosts educational workshops and events.
SING OUT BRUSSELS
🎵 Queer Choir
Founded in 2018, this non profit choir brings together around 80 singers representing the LGBTQI+ community. The ensemble performs varied repertoire at public concerts, cultural festivals, and international choral events. Check their social media for concert dates.
QUEER FUTURE CLUB
🪩 Pop-Up Events
A music label and event collective hosting queer parties, open air gatherings, and community events. Founded by local DJs and creators, the initiative collaborates with alternative sports and cultural spaces. Programming centres on electronic music, live DJ sets, and multidisciplinary social events.
🇧🇬BULGARIA
NATIONWIDE
GLAS FOUNDATION
📍 45 Knyaginya Maria Luiza Blvd, Sofia
A national non-governmental organisation founded in 2014, working for LGBTI equality in Bulgaria through human rights campaigns, corporate diversity programmes, and cultural projects. It co-organises Sofia Pride and operates a community centre in central Sofia hosting support groups, educational workshops, and film screenings.
LGBTI DEYSTVIE
An LGBTIQ+ organisation providing pro bono legal aid and consultations across Bulgaria. Established in 2012, they focus on strategic litigation, advocacy, and reporting on human rights compliance. Their work includes legal support for same sex couples, parental rights recognition, and legal gender recognition procedures in domestic and European courts.
SINGLE STEP FOUNDATION
📍12 Bratya Miladinovi Street, Sofia
A non-profit organisation supporting LGBTI youth and their families across Bulgaria. The foundation provides support services and conducts national research on school environments and discrimination. It runs campaigns on education and civil rights issues. It also operates The Steps, a permanent community and cultural centre in Sofia.
PLOVDIV
COMMUNITY CENTER POGLED
A physical and digital space run by the Pogled Foundation in Plovdiv. The centre hosts film screenings, social gatherings, discussions, and educational initiatives covering human rights and intersex awareness. It houses an on-site library with independent publications and community literature. It collaborates with queer and lesbian collectives such as Kikimora. Precise location details are provided upon registration for specific events.
SOFIA
BILITIS FOUNDATION
📍Boulevard Knyaginya Maria Luiza 45
An LGBTIQ+ organisation founded in 2004, originally focusing on lesbian and bisexual women. They co-manage the Rainbow community centre and co-organise Sofia Pride. The organisation provides psychological consultations, legal aid, and support groups for trans and intersex people. They also host community workshops, self-defence classes, and maintain an on-site queer library.
ESSENCE CLUB
📍 29 Aleksandar Stamboliyski Blvd
A long-running nightclub and bar established in 2004, catering primarily to women and lesbians. It hosts weekly DJ nights, themed parties, cocktails, and social events.
KIKIMORA
A queer and lesbian collective based in Sofia, Bulgaria. They organise events for the local LGBTQ+ community. These include FLINTA*-only club nights under the name Dykes, which feature live performances such as the Magic Dyke dance show. They also host drag shows, music nights, outdoor potlucks, Prizma Festival, and the platform Genderluck.
PRIZMA FESTIVAL
An annual queer festival powered by the Kikimora collective. The festival and its organisers curate events for the FLINTA* and wider LGBTQ+ community, ranging from beach festival takeovers with daytime sports, merchandise stands, and performance wrestling, to FLINTA* club nights and live dance performances in Sofia.
🎬 SOFIA PRIDE FILMFESTIVAL
3 – 12 June
Focusing on LGBTIQ+ stories, as the country's main queer film festival, it plays an important role in Bulgaria. The festival is part of Sofia Pride and organized by the LGBTI rights organization "Deystvie".
SOFIA QUEER FORUM
A recurring arts and cultural platform established in 2012. It explores queer identity, gender, and sexuality through contemporary visual arts, artistic research, and seminars. It organises temporary exhibitions and events across various venues in Sofia. For more information, check their website.
THE STEPS
📍12 Bratya Miladinovi Street
Café, bistro, and cultural event space run as a social enterprise by the Single Step Foundation. The venue hosts drag bingo, international photo exhibitions, film screenings, and community gatherings, functioning as an open meeting point for the queer community.
QUEER SOFIA
🪩 Pop-Up Events
A community-based digital archive founded in 2023 by two queer women to document LGBTQIA+ history and activism in Bulgaria. The initiative runs the country’s first queer history walking tour, produces a cultural map of the city, and organises workshops, community archives, and the annual Vutimski Queer Poetry Awards.
VARNA
QUEER VARNA FOUNDATION
Established in 2024, it is the first officially registered queer organisation in Varna. They host monthly community gatherings, support groups, educational workshops, and panel discussions on LGBTIQ+ legal rights. They run a free book lending service with local collection points, alongside a volunteer programme and referral access to psychological support. They also organise the annual Varna Queer Fest, which spans a month of cultural events across the city.
🇭🇷CROATIA
RIJEKA
FESTIVAL OF QUEER AND FEMINIST CULTURE SMOQUA
Check their social media for dates
Combining art and activism to promote queer and feminist culture. Features film screenings, art exhibitions, performances, panels, and workshops. It’s a space for open dialogue, challenging patriarchal norms, and connecting international artists with the local community.
LORI
📍 7 Janeza Trdine Street
The first registered lesbian organisation in Croatia, operating in Rijeka since 2000. The association provides community support, educational workshops, and advocacy, while also organising the annual Smoqua festival of queer and feminist culture.
ZAGREB
SWASHTARA
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Founded in 2021 by Monika Smiljanić, this LGBTQIA+ club night hosts parties with electronic music across Zagreb.
VOX FEMINAE
A feminist and queer media platform and festival based in Zagreb, organised by the non-governmental organisation K-zona. They run an annual international film and arts festival focusing on women, trans, and non-binary people. Throughout the year, they host film screenings, panel discussions, and workshops at guest locations across Zagreb.
ZBELETRON
🪩 Pop-Up Events
An independent association based in Zagreb organising nightlife and social events for FLINTA individuals. The collective hosts recurring party series, DJ sets, dance performances, and community gatherings across local music venues.
🇨🇾 CYPRUS
NATIONWIDE
ACCEPT LGBTI CYPRUS
The national NGO advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights across Cyprus and the official organiser of Cyprus Pride. Alongside nationwide policy and support work, they host regular Rainbow Meetings in cities like Limassol and Nicosia, offering welcoming and confidential community spaces for queer locals and visitors.
CARABINER COLLECTIVE
🪩 Pop-Up Events
A grassroots events collective organising dedicated nightlife and social gatherings for lesbians, sapphics, and queer women across Cyprus. Their pop up events include sapphic street parties, holiday parties, and club nights hosted at local venues across Nicosia and Limassol, featuring sets by sapphic DJs, live performers, and street food.
QUEER COLLECTIVE
Grassroots network running island wide LGBTQIA+ cultural events, social meetups, workshops, and the annual cross border United by Pride festival. A practical point of contact for finding local community, independent gatherings, and activist spaces across both sides of Cyprus.
RAINBOW WOMEN CY
A community group organising outdoor activities and social gatherings for LGBTQI+ women across Cyprus. Events rotate island wide and include nature hikes, beach trips, paddleboarding, creative open mic nights, and sharing circles.
THE REPUBLIC OF LESBIANS & THEIR FRIENDS
A grassroots cultural initiative launched in 2022 to counter the lack of sapphic representation and community spaces across Cyprus. The collective curates film screenings, roundtables, and public discussions centering lesbian histories and lived experiences, often collaborating with independent arts festivals and local queer venues across the island.
NICOSIA
KAFENEIO PROZAK
📍 3A Medondos Street
A coffee shop and evening bar operating in central Nicosia. The venue is an established meeting place for the local alternative and queer community, hosting art exhibitions, live acoustic music, poetry readings, and open mic events.
STES KOROUES
📍Ermou Street 272
A plant based cafe and bar. The venue provides space for queer and feminist art, workshops, open mic nights, film screenings, and live music.
🎬 QUEER WAVE: CYPRUS LGBTQIA+ FILM FESTIVAL
18 – 27 September
The only festival in Cyprus dedicated to LGBTQIA+ cinema, focusing on underrepresented voices and regions lacking queer rights. Screenings, filmmaker Q&As, panels, and performances are held across Nicosia, the UN buffer zone, and other cities.
🇨🇿CZECHIA
LOCAL ONLINE GUIDES
QUEERPRAGUE
An online event guide and resource directory focusing on Prague. The platform shares listings of queer events, local social groups, and queer friendly businesses across the capital. Listings and contact details are managed via their social media account and online forms.
BRNO
KOLEKTIV PLUSKO+
🪩 Pop-Up Events
A grassroots queer and trans cultural collective based in Brno. The initiative organises regular social meetups, workshops, cultural discussions, alternative club nights, and Lesbian Short Film Nights. Collaborating with independent venues and arthouse cinemas across the city, the collective announces upcoming dates and locations on their social media channels.
PRAGUE
FREAKS AND GEEKS
🪩 Pop-Up Events
An alternative queer fringe show produced in collaboration with local drag king Rudy Daddy. Rooted in punk and grassroots performance culture, the open stage platform showcases queer, neurodivergent, and fringe artists across drag, burlesque, cabaret, and poetry.
FREEDOM NIGHT
🪩 Pop-Up Events
Established in 2004, this is the oldest and longest running lesbian club night in Czechia. Aimed at lesbians and women seeking women, it operates without a permanent premises, staging events across Prague, Brno, and other cities. The programme includes themed club nights, guest DJs, dating activities, live performances, and summer open air gatherings. During Prague Pride, it hosts the official festival afterparty. Upcoming dates, venues, and programmes are announced via their Instagram account.
🎬 MEZIPATRA QUEER FILM FESTIVAL
5 – 20 November
📍Prague & Brno
Screening around a hundred local and international LGBTQ+ films, with the main programme evaluated by a professional international jury. Also expect discussions, lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and regional screenings across the country.
PINKBUS
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A Czech queer performance platform based in Prague connecting theatre, dance, drag, cabaret, and visual arts. They produce original stage productions, host an annual queer theatre festival, and organise performance events across guest venues in the Czech Republic and internationally.
PRAGUE UNTUCKED
🪩 Pop-Up Events
A recurring drag event series with a distinct focus on drag kings. The gatherings feature community viewing parties for the King of Drag television series alongside live performances hosted by local drag king Rudy Daddy. Event schedules, line ups, and venue announcements are published on their Instagram page.
Q CAFÉ
📍Opatovická 12
An LGBTQ+ bar and cafe situated across two floors in New Town. It also houses a dedicated library of queer books and magazines.
SAPPHIC HEAT
🪩 Pop-Up Events
Founded in 2025, this monthly pop up party for lesbians and FLINTA takes place across different locations in Prague. On their website they write: "Sapphic Heat was about creating a space where everyone felt safe and comfortable to be themselves." The events are strictly eighteen plus and entry is not permitted to cisgender men. Dates, locations, and admission details are published via their social media channels.
SAPPHO SALON
🪩 Pop-Up Events
A monthly open mic and poetry reading event held across various addresses in Prague. The organisers describe their mission as creating "a safe space for feminist/queer voices to be heard." The sessions feature poetry, spoken word, music, and comedy, open to both spectators and performers who register via an online form.
VIOLETS COLLECTIVE
🪩 Pop-Up Events
A Prague-based grassroots collective creating sapphic- and trans-inclusive spaces for lesbians and queers. Operating across rotating venues in the city, they organise social gatherings, from bar hangouts and outdoor picnics to creative craft evenings and sign-making meetups. Check their Instagram for upcoming dates and locations.
🇩🇰DENMARK
AALBORG
📚BUENS BOGCAFÉ - DENMARK’S NORTHERNMOST LGBT+ BOOKSTORE
📍Maren Turis Gade 12
Hurry up and visit! It closes in January 2027. Denmark’s first LGBT+ bookstore opened in April 2021. It offers a wide range of genres in Danish and English. The focus is entirely on queer love, transition, history, identity, and strong LGBT+ representation. They also host coffee clubs, talks, creative nights, and gatherings across Jutland.
COPENHAGEN
CAFE INTIME
📍Allegade 25
Meet a legend. A bar in Frederiksberg with roots in the 1920s. Expect live piano every evening and a jazz orchestra on Sundays.
DYKE INN
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A Copenhagen-based event collective organising parties and social gatherings for lesbians, queers, and trans individuals (FLINTA+). Events feature DJs, social areas, and collaborative club nights across local venues.
GIRL X GIRL
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Straight friendly events for queer women & non-binary people.
LADIES LOUNGE CLUB
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A private club hosting parties and social gatherings for lesbians, bisexuals, and non-binary people, with live music and DJs that support women in music.
📚 LÆSBISK
📍Vestergade 18E
A book club and cultural initiative for queer women and lesbians, run by Maria Guldløv. The initiative hosts regular book club sessions and author talks at LGBT+ Medborgerhuset, film screenings in partnership with Filmbazar, and social parties.
🎬 MIX COPENHAGEN LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL
October 30 – November 8
Shows a wide selection of international films, documentaries, and shorts that explore queer life and sexual politics. And it’s one of the world's oldest LGBTQ+ film festivals still running.
📚 THE POND
📍Poppelgade 6
An independent queer bookshop and café located in Nørrebro. Alongside selling books, hot drinks, and seasonal beverages, the venue hosts regular community events such as book clubs, board game nights, crafting meet-ups, language cafés, and poetry readings.
QUEER RUN CLUB CPH
🏃 Sports & Community
A Copenhagen-based running community for LGBTQ+ individuals of all fitness levels. The group organises weekly runs that change days and locations across the city, incorporating walking breaks, variable paces, and social gatherings.
SABAAH
🪩 Pop-Up Event
An organization working to improve minority ethnic LGBTQIA+ people's living conditions. They also organize exciting queer club events.
FEMØ
THE INTERNATIONAL WEEK OF FEMØ
June 22 – August 16
Want to be a part of history? Femø has been running since 1971. It's a global melting pot for all versions of feminism and being a woman. Offers camping and themed weeks with everything from yoga to art workshops. Welcoming all women, including mothers with boys under 12, it's all about sisterhood and shared experiences.
🇪🇪ESTONIA
RAKVERE
🎬 FESTHEART LGBT+ FILM FESTIVAL
2 – 4 October
The first recurring LGBT+ film festival in the Baltics, running since 2017. They screen international features, documentaries, and shorts alongside public debates on queer rights and community activism.
TARTU
🎬 FESTHEART LGBT+ FILM FESTIVAL
25 – 27 September
The first recurring LGBT+ film festival in the Baltics, running since 2017. They screen international features, documentaries, and shorts alongside public debates on queer rights and community activism.
PEEMOTI KESKUS
📍 Kastani 42
An LGBTQ+ community centre and safer space run by passionate volunteers in Tartu. Open on weekday afternoons, the centre functions as a welcoming grassroots living room hosting everything from art clubs and photography workshops to creative support groups, board game nights, and social meetups. They also run a small online shop selling pins, prints, and stickers made by local queer artists to support the space. Check their social media for current weekly opening hours and scheduled activities.
🇫🇮FINLAND
NATIONWIDE
MUMMOLAAKSO
A community organisation supporting lesbians, bisexual, pansexual, trans women, and women-loving women across Finland. Established to foster connection and visibility, the group arranges social gatherings, cultural events, discussion groups, and dances both in Helsinki and via regional chapters nationwide. For more information, see their Instagram.
SAPPHIC SPACE HKI (GUIDE)
A digital guide tracking the sapphic scene across Finland, with a primary focus on Helsinki. The platform compiles monthly roundups of community events, featuring local Pride festivals, sports meetups, club nights, and cultural activities organized by various queer groups nationwide. Alongside curating the monthly calendar, the collective also hosts pop-up social events (listed separately under Sapphic Space HKI).
SETA
Finland’s national LGBTQI+ human rights and civil rights advocacy organisation, founded in 1974. Seta operates as an umbrella organisation with local member associations across the country, providing advocacy, public education, youth services, and support through its national center on gender diversity.
WLW MEDIA
A Finnish language digital media platform and open public database documenting sapphic culture. Readers can use the online archive to discover and search for Finnish books, films, series, and music featuring women loving women, with articles providing background information, reviews, and external links to stream tracks or access titles.
HELSINKI
BAR UTOPIA
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A lesbian pop up bar initiative hosting events at guest venues across Helsinki. They run monthly afterwork sessions alongside larger parties two to four times a year. They focus on community building and open stage slots for drag, poetry, and live performances, accompanied by table tennis tournaments and board games.
CLUB U-HAUL
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A club night for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color queers and friends. According to the organisers, the club started from two needs: "to hear amapiano and to be a lesbian in a club." Its name comes from the lesbian term "u-hauling," which they describe as "a stereotype of lesbians who move quickly in a relationship, either emotionally or sexually and/or move in quickly together physically." The event focuses on creating safer dance floors and prioritizing marginalized communities, playing genres like amapiano, afro, RnB, hip-hop, dancehall, and queer anthems.
DYKE HAUS HELSINKI
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A volunteer-led lesbian social club organizing community gatherings outside traditional bar and club settings. The collective hosts recurring creative workshops, such as writing and crafts, social parties, and an affiliated weekly football club. While centered on lesbians, events are open to the broader queer community and friends.
DYKE MARCH HELSINKI
Annually in late June
An annual protest march and grassroots initiative in Helsinki, Finland, established to highlight sapphic presence and dyke culture. Operating as a community protest rather than a parade, the march welcomes queer, bi, and lesbian women, non-binary people, and trans masculine individuals. Alongside the summer demonstration, the organisers host off-season activities such as film screenings, zine-making, and volunteer meetings.
HEL STAND-UP LEAGUE
📍 Albertinkatu 36
An English-language comedy platform showcasing female and LGBTQ+ comedians of all experience levels. Held monthly at Lazy Fox in Kamppi, the open-mic nights operate on a free-entry and donation basis, offering performance slots exclusively to individuals who self-identify within the women and queer communities.
KAUPUNGIN NAISET
Finland’s only dedicated lesbian choir, founded over a decade ago. The ensemble performs original music set to contemporary Finnish poetry and regularly stages concerts and collaborative performances across Helsinki. Upcoming show dates and ticket announcements are published directly via their Instagram account.
KESTIT RY
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A Helsinki-based non-profit organisation arranging events and club nights for queer women and gender minorities. Held at rotating venues, their programmes include live music, DJs, karaoke, traditional partner dancing, interactive games, and social areas.
M4NSKU STREETBAR
📍 Mannerheimintie 104
A neighborhood cocktail and music bar located in the Töölö district. While open daily as a standard neighborhood bar, the venue frequently hosts queer programming, notably serving as the regular location for Sapphic Space’s recurring "Naughty Bingo" nights.
PEACHES
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A Helsinki-based event for women loving women, including lesbian, bisexual, and sapphic individuals. Organised by DJ NRTH, the nights feature DJ sets and visual projections across rotating local venues.
SAPPHIC SPACE HKI (EVENTS)
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A recurring pop-up event series hosting bar nights, parties, and social meetups across rotating venues in Helsinki. Founded to provide dedicated spaces for queer women, the events welcome lesbians, bisexual women, trans women, and non-binary individuals, operating under stated safer-space principles.
STRUTS BAR
📍Fleminginkatu 13
A queer cocktail bar situated in the Kallio district of Helsinki. Along with a cocktail and drinks menu, the venue hosts regular weekday and weekend community events including crafting nights, queer speed dating, drink-and-draw sessions, open mics, and folk music jams.
🎬 VINOKINO RAINBOW FILM FESTIVAL
16–17 October
Vinokino is Finland’s only film festival dedicated exclusively to LGBTQ+ cinema. It is held annually in Helsinki, showcasing a curated selection of international features, documentaries, and short films highlighting diverse queer stories.
TAMPERE
MIXEI
📍Itsenäisyydenkatu 7–9
Finland’s oldest continuously operating LGBTQ+ nightclub, established in 1990. Located across two floors in central Tampere, the venue features a lounge area on the upper level and a dance floor downstairs. The club hosts regular club nights and performances for the local queer community.
TURKU
TEATTERI KANTANÄKY
A Turku-based queer theatre group operating since 2007. The company produces original stage productions, musical performances, cabarets, and community events exploring LGBTQ+ themes, performing at various cultural venues across Finland.
🎬 VINOKINO RAINBOW FILM FESTIVAL
18 – 19 September
Vinokino is Finland’s only film festival dedicated exclusively to LGBTQ+ cinema. Held annually in Turku, showcasing a curated selection of international features, documentaries, and short films highlighting diverse queer stories.
🇫🇷FRANCE
LOCAL ONLINE GUIDES
COUCOU LES GOUDOUS
Want to keep up with the lesbo-queer scene in France? Check out the Instagram account Coucou Les Goudous. This community-driven agenda lists everything from Paris parties and bar nights to cultural gatherings. Bonus: their name is a playful reclamation of a French slang term for lesbian.
BIARRITZ
LE CLUB DE SURF QUEER
The first French queer surf club, founded in 2021 to increase LGBT+ visibility in surfing culture. Welcomes all experience levels for regular surf meet-ups, expression sessions at the Queen Classic Surf Festival, social gatherings, and sports meet-ups outside the water. Check their Instagram for more information.
BORDEAUX
🎬 CINÉMARGES
1 – 8 April
An independent queer film festival founded in 2004, born out of local activist movements and Bordeaux Pride. Programmes international features, shorts, and documentaries centering lesbian, gay, trans, and feminist resistance, counter-culture, and marginalised voices. Check their website and social media for screening schedules and tickets.
LE PLI
A multidisciplinary arts residency and cultural initiative supporting underrepresented artists across gender, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds. Hosts research and rest residencies alongside free public exhibitions, workshops, and feminist art-and-self-defence events across the Bordeaux area. Check their website and social media for open calls and event programming.
LYON
DYKENESS
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Dykeness is an event-based collective and pop-up party for lesbians, bisexual women, feminists, and gender minorities. The collective organises events featuring female and gender-minority artists, including DJ sets, live music, and dance performances. They do not have a permanent venue, but host pop-up nights at different locations across Lyon.
PARIS
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: Paris in Six Queer Acts
BAR LES AIMANT.E.S
📍182 Rue Saint-Martin
Once the home of the lesbian bar Bar'ouf, this place was taken over in 2024 by Lucie, who has preserved its spirit. It's the kind of bar you go to after a day at work, enjoy a glass of wine, and chat with your friends before heading home. I had one of my best evenings here, lost in a deep conversation about documentary filmmaking and women's lives in Iran with strangers. The bar is also wheelchair accessible.
BONJOUR MADAME
📍40 Rue de Montreuil
Are you looking for a militant feminist queer cultural bar? This is it!
CABARET DES MERVEILLES
📍25 Rue de l'Hirondelle
Think drag king performances, speed dating, blue hair and dancing in 'the cave.' Whether you're almost naked or expressing yourself artistically through your clothes, you can be the truest version of yourself. The atmosphere is open, warm, and full of queer feminist culture. A shout-out to the sound design: the music is loud enough for dancing in the cave, but kept low in the upstairs bar so you can actually hold a conversation.
CINÉ-CLUB ROSA BONHEUR X CINÉMA DU PANTHÉON
📍 13 rue Victor Cousin
A monthly film club partnership between the Rosa Bonheur team and Cinéma du Panthéon, one of Paris’s oldest operating cinemas, dating back to 1907. Historically known for introducing French New Wave directors like Truffaut and Godard, the cinema hosts this free event on the first Sunday of every month. Pre-registration is required as seating is limited.
LE COYOTE
📍86 Rue des Archives
A queer and lesbian saloon created by chef Marine Gora, serving as an inclusive neighborhood restaurant and natural wine bar. It offers a warm safe space featuring seasonal small plates, natural wines, and a lively community vibe.
LA CHAMPMESLÉ
📍4 Rue Chabanais
Probably one of the oldest lesbian bars in Paris.
🎬CHÉRIES-CHÉRIS, FRANCE
14 – 24 November
An international LGBTQIA+ film festival, held annually in November since 1994. You get independent features, documentaries, and short films, highlighting diverse queer cinema from all around the world.
DIRTY LEMON
📍24 Rue de la Folie-Méricourt
A queer, sapphic cocktail bar and restaurant in Paris founded in 2019 by chef and owner Ruba Khoury. The venue serves Mediterranean food alongside a cocktail menu, with brunch offered on weekends.
LA DIVA PARTY
📍 14 Rue Saint-Denis
A monthly lesbian and queer party held at Le Klub in Paris. The event features themed music nights.
🎬THE DRAMAGOUINE FESTIVAL
18 – 19 April
A festival celebrating the International Lesbian Day of Visibility, bringing together Sapphic artists and initiatives. The name is a mix of 'drama' and gouine, a reclaimed French slang term for dyke. Registration is free or pay-what-you-want.
ELLES BAR
📍6 Rue de la Tacherie
They describe themselves as a festive and welcoming lesbian LGBTQIA+ inclusive bar.
LA FIERTÉ
📍 29 Rue de Sambre-et-Meuse
A queer bar and cantina located in Paris’s 10th arrondissement, operated by the LGBTQIA+ collective Collectif Ginettes (formerly Les Ginettes Armées). It functions as a neighborhood meeting place serving food and drinks.
LADIES ROOM PARIS
A recurring lesbian and queer party in Paris. The events feature a mix of programming, including film screenings, music quizzes (blind tests), queer artisan markets, games, photography exhibitions, and DJ sets. Check their social media for dates and venue locations.
THE LESBIAN BANQUET
An intimate community initiative celebrating dyke food culture, founded by a chef, an architect, and a researcher. Born from the desire to create chosen traditions and shared meals for lesbians and queers. Each gathering draws from historical archives to reclaim queer narratives through specially curated menus and atmospheres. Check their social media for upcoming banquets.
MERCI-MARSHA
📍8 Rue Richard Lenoir
Named after the iconic gay rights activist Marsha P. Johnson, this LGBTQI+ bar hosts queer stand-up, drag performances, themed bingo, open mics, and sex-positive Q&As over drinks.
MONTVENUS
📍16 Boulevard Paul Vaillant Couturier
A queer and feminist bar offering exhibitions, Queer Poetry Evenings, and a monthly "DYKE'S CLUB" - a space for encounters and exchanges. During these meetings, guests take the floor to address various topics to reflect upon together, aiming to feel stronger and empowered to act.
📚LES MOTS À LA BOUCHE
📍37 Rue Saint-Ambroise
According to Wikipedia, Les Mots à la Bouche is France's oldest LGBTQI+ bookstore, having opened in Paris in 1980. It’s considered the best place to find works related to gay and lesbian issues. However, my impression was that it was mainly a gay bookstore with lesbian islands. In the basement you find a collection of art books and fashion magazines. I really enjoyed the mix. Even though they were written in French I appreciated the staff's personal notes on some of the books. It gave the place an extra human touch. They also have an English language section and a webshop.
LA MUTINERIE
📍176-178 Rue Saint-Martin
With its Berlin-style attitude and decor, this self-organized bar is home to many in the queer, feminist, trans, and lesbian communities. It’s far more than just a place for drinks, hosting from karaoke and speed dating to tattoo and piercing sessions. What makes the location even better is its next-door neighbor: BAR LES AIMANT.E.S, another fantastic LGBTQIA+-inclusive bar.
🎬 PARIS INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN & FEMINIST FILM FESTIVAL
30 October – 2 November 📍 Espace Reuilly
Organised by the Cineffable association, this annual women-only festival focuses entirely on lesbian visibility and self-representation. It showcases a variety of independent films, documentaries, and shorts directed by women, specifically curated for a lesbian audience.
PÈRE LACHAISE CEMETERY
📍16 Rue du Repos
The graves could easily be mistaken for scenes from a gothic, romantic, dark movie. Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Frédéric Chopin, Edith Piaf, and Marcel Proust are some of the famous figures buried here. On the lesbian side, we have two giants. Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas had perhaps one of the most famous lesbian 39-year love stories of all time. They met in 1907 and remained together until Gertrude Stein's death in July 1946. Her gravestone has her name in gold. When her wife Alice B. Toklas died many years later, she did not want to take any attention away from Gertrude. She considered her a genius who should shine in her own light. (Gertrude herself also thought she was a genius. That's lesbian confidence for you.) At the same time, Alice wanted to rest beside her true love. I have never seen a solution like hers. If you ask me, it's brilliant. She wrote her name in gold on the back of the gravestone. At first, when I read about it, I thought it was just another sad story about the “wife” being made into an appendix to the grand partner. When I actually saw it in person, I changed my mind. In doing what she did, she made sure she too got the spotlight. She did not have to share the cover with Gertrude. In doing so, she wrote a new story that says a lot about what kind of person Alice B. Toklas was. It's a genius move. And they got to rest side by side for all eternity. If you want to pay tribute to them, you will find them at Division 94. My film showing Stein & Toklas grave →
ROSA BONHEUR SUR SEINE
📍 2 Port des Invalides
An LGBTQIA+-friendly boat along the Seine, located between Pont de la Concorde and Pont Alexandre III. It operates as a bar and restaurant serving tapas and wine during the day, before turning into a dance floor in the evening.
SAPPHIC SOCIAL CLUB PARIS
📍check @sapphicsocialclubparis and their WhatsApp group for event details
An English-speaking social community for queer, bisexual, wlw, trans, and non-binary people in Paris. The group organizes regular daytime and evening meet-ups, including park picnics, local hikes, drinks and apéros at partnered venues, and Pride gatherings.
📚SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY
📍37 rue de la Bûcherie
Shakespeare and Company is a legendary institution with a history in two acts. The original shop, a place for writers like Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, André Gide, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, was opened in 1921 at 12 Rue de l’Odéon by Sylvia Beach. Across the street, her partner Adrienne Monnier ran her bookstore, La Maison des Amis des Livres. Together they created an epicenter for the modernist literary scene in Paris. (You can always count on the lesbians.) Beach was a true champion of the arts, acting as James Joyce's patron. She supported him financially and was the first to publish his controversial book, Ulysses, when no one else would. Tragically, when Joyce finally achieved fame and money, he never repaid her. Of course, we never know what would have happened, but it’s tempting to think: without Beach, no Ulysses. Beach's shop was forced to close in 1941 during the German occupation of Paris. The bookstore we know today as Shakespeare and Company was opened in 1951 by an American named George Whitman, originally under the name 'Le Mistral.' In 1964, he renamed it Shakespeare and Company as a tribute to Beach. However, just a warning: the shop today, despite its rich history, has a touristy vibe that feels like a bit of a contradiction. I would still recommend a visit. If Sylvia Beach and her friends are of interest to you, they have a good selection of books about these figures and the lesbian power couples and individuals behind the scenes.
📚VIOLETTES & CO
📍102 rue de Charonne
Here they offer a wide selection of feminist and lesbian works, primarily in French, with a small section of English literature. They host events several times a week on a range of topics relevant to the lesbian, queer, and feminist community. There's also a café, providing a space for working, reading, or chatting with friends. I got the impression that it's a good place to hang out and expand your ideas. The walls display exhibitions by different artists, and the staff spoke English and were very inclusive. It opened in 2004.
MARSEILLE
🎬 ZEFESTIVAL
9 – 18 January
Marseille’s LGBTQIA+ film festival organized by the Polychromes association. Beyond its cinematic lineup of queer films and documentaries, the festival integrates cabaret performances, queer author readings, and dance parties in collaboration with local cultural events.
MONTPELLIER
MADREDIOSA
📍5 rue Belmont
A queer and trans-inclusive bar serving vegan and vegetarian food. It hosts recurring cultural events, including drag king competitions, live shows, television screenings, and political performance art. They organise activist sign-making sessions where materials are provided to prepare placards and slogans for local demonstrations. They also host La Butcherie, an evening centred on butch visibility, community solidarity, and support for sex worker rights organisations, featuring resource stands and live stage performances.
NICE
🎬 IN & OUT NICE FILM FESTIVAL
23 April – 4 May
The festival screens contemporary queer cinema through international premieres, dedicated short film competitions, and animated features. The program's focus includes documentaries on LGBTQIA+ migrants, coupled with parallel art exhibitions exploring local queer history and diverse aesthetic activism.
POLYCHROMES
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A non-profit LGBTQIA+ cultural association founded in 2008 in Nice. Rather than a single permanent venue or bar, Polychromes acts as a community collective organizing events like ZeFestival (a regional film festival), monthly creative writing workshops, choir practices, and beach socials ("Polyapéro") to foster connection and culture across the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
VICQ-SUR-GARTEMPE
LEZART FESTIVAL
21 – 23 August
Discover emerging lesbian, queer, and feminist artists in a supportive, participatory environment in Vicq-sur-Gartempe. Festive cultural weekend by ARTS et PERSPECTIVES. All are welcome!
🇩🇪GERMANY
BERLIN
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: Kill Your Darlings In Berlin
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: I've Got the Lesbian Fever
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: The Ultimate Lesbian Berlin Guide
BEGINE - WOMEN’S CULTURAL CENTRE
📍Potsdamer Str. 139
For some, this is the only lesbian bar left in town. A cultural and meeting point for women since 1986. BEGiNE hosts a monthly program of live music, theater, readings, and exhibitions focusing on international and emerging artists. It's also a community space, used by various groups for meetings, workshops, and planning actions.
BERLIN LESBIAN & GAY CITY FESTIVAL
18 – 19 July
Europe's largest Lesbian and Gay Festival.
CAFE LUZIA
📍Oranienstrasse 34
A queer cocktail, bar & cafe.
CURLY BAR
📍Adolfstrasse 17
“Everything but straight.” It offers evenings with queer dating, comedy, and karaoke nights.
DYKE* FESTIVAL BERLIN
22 – 23 August
A multidisciplinary festival celebrating dyke* subculture, for lesbian, bi, queer, trans. The weekend brings dyke* artists, authors, and thinkers from across Europe. It is organized by Allesbien, a lesbian and bisexual collective founded in 2022 whose goal is to create safe, empowering community spaces while celebrating dyke* culture.
FRUIT.
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Founded in 2024 by long-time nightlife organizer Luisa, fruit. is an event series for queer women and FLINTA* aged 28 and older. Rather than operating from a permanent venue, the collective hosts pop-up gatherings across different bars, wine spots, and venues in Berlin. Events range from after-work drinks and wine tastings to daytime sessions and parties, soundtracked by deep house, disco, and funk instead of techno. The concept focuses on smaller, conversational settings and cocktail culture as an alternative to Berlin's traditional club circuit.
LES BIENS
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Safe Space Events, check their Insta for updates
MÖBEL OLFE
📍Reichenberger Str. 177
Lesbian nights every Tuesday!
I asked Peaches: Where are the lesbians? She replied: Berlin, Möbel Olfe on a Tuesday. God she was right. This place is as close to paradiso as you can get. While the sheer number of fabulous lesbians was exhilarating, ironically, connecting with individuals proved surprisingly challenging. However, the overall experience was absolutely electric. If I had only one place I could go to for the rest of my life, I would come to Möbel Olfe. My notes on this place →
OYA BAR
📍Mariannenstraße 6
A queer-feminist collective, with an explicit and heartfelt welcome to the BIPoC community. Functioning as a relaxed café by day and a cozy bar by night, it hosts a wide range of events, from panel discussions and poetry readings to concerts and community brunches.
OXI CLUB
📍Wiesenweg 1-4
They regularly host parties, many of which are lesbian-friendly. They also have a dark room which is open during sex-positive/centered parties.
📚SHE SAID BOOKS
📍Kottbusser Damm 79
I could have spent days browsing the impressive collection at this feminist & queer bookshop. They offer a fantastic selection of books in both German and English. You can even grab coffee and cake while you read. I liked everything from the interior design to the super-friendly staff. My notes on this place →
SCHWULES MUSEUM
📍Lützowstraße 7
One of the world's most important institutions for queer history and culture. Founded in 1985 out of a grassroots movement to preserve the stories of gay men excluded by mainstream museums. It has since grown to document the diverse lives and histories of all queer people (LGBTQIA+). Through its exhibitions, extensive archives, and community events, the museum explores queer history not just as a collection of identities, but as a critical practice that fights against all forms of discrimination. It's an important space for research, activism, and community gathering.
SILVER FUTURE
📍Weserstr. 206
“For Kings and Queens and Criminal Queers” An inspiring place for people-watching, with speed dating events and drag king performances. My notes on this place →
SONNTAGS-CLUB
📍Greifenhagener Str. 28
Friday is a lesbian evening. A non-profit LGBTQIA+ information, counseling, and cultural center operating in Prenzlauer Berg since 1973. The venue functions as a community meeting space and café, hosting around 35 self-help and interest groups alongside regular cultural and educational events. In addition to its social programming, the organization provides counseling services covering topics such as coming out, relationships, and specific support for trans* individuals.
📚SPINNBODEN
📍Anklamer Str. 38
One of the world's largest lesbian archives and libraries. Founded in 1973 out of the lesbian movement, it was created as an 'archive from below' to preserve the stories and histories ignored by the mainstream. The name 'Spinnboden' harks back to old spinning rooms where women would work and share stories—a tradition this space continues by collecting, preserving, and sharing lesbian culture. It serves as a resource and a community space for discussions and events. I highly recommend a visit.
STUECK
📍Schlesische Straße 16
Cocktail bar with events on Thursdays.
SÜDBLOCK
📍Admiralstraße 1-2
Queer bar with Flinta nights. Check their website for updates.
TIPSY BEAR BERLIN
📍Eberswalder Str. 21
A queer bar hosting a variety of weekly events, including drag shows, karaoke nights, trivia, viewing parties, and live performances, showcasing local queer talent and community events.
COLOGNE
30 KARAT DELUXE
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A recurring party series for the FLINTA* community held at rotating venues in Cologne. Events feature DJ lineups across multiple indoor and outdoor dance floors, including seasonal day and evening parties such as summer open-airs and Tanz in den Mai.
BOIZE BAR
📍Friesenstraße 43
A queer bar for the FLINTA* community. They host weekend party nights featuring DJs playing pop, hip-hop, and electronic music.
KÖLNCHELLA
19 – 20 September
📍 Volksgartenstraße 25
A queer music and arts festival featuring a diverse roster of live musical performances spanning pop to rap, drag shows, ballroom showcases, and late-night DJ sets. Beyond the stage, the festival grounds include a creative pop-up market with indie fashion, tooth gems, tattoo stations, and workshops. Check their Instagram for more updates.
FRANKFURT
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: Behind the Red Door: Frankfurt’s Last Lesbian Bar
ZUM SCHWEJK
📍Schäfergasse 20
A renowned gay bar with a tropical beach theme. The pastel colors, diving cyclops, and oversized sunglasses were a bit much, but the most exotic thing about the place was the fact that people were still smoking inside. I ordered a drink and, hoping for a lead, asked the bartender where to find lesbians. He gave me a Mona Lisa smile as I launched into a conversation with an older man in the corner. His recommendation? I should become a gay man, as I'd have more fun.
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: The Disappearing Scene in Frankfurt
LSKH QUEERES KULTURHAUS
📍Klingerstraße 6
An inclusive community house dedicated to creating a respectful and safer space for all queer identities. The core principle is open and gentle interaction, with a shared responsibility to be mindful of discrimination and privilege. It's a space focused on learning together and supporting each other's lived experiences.
FREIBURG
🎬 FREIBURG GAY FILM WEEK
29 April – 6 May
This long-running festival showcases international LGBTQ+ features, documentaries, and expanded short film programs. The event includes audience-choice awards, filmmaker Q&As, and cultural partnerships featuring scenic readings and political panel discussions.
🎬 FREIBURGER LESBENFILMTAGE
13 – 17 May
Founded in 1985 and organized by an e.V. association, this is one of Germany’s longest-running lesbian and queer film festivals. Held annually over five days in mid-May, the festival screens an international selection of feature films, documentaries, and short films, culminating in the Goldene Tanna audience awards. The program is accompanied by director Q&As, theater performances, social gatherings, and an annual FLINTA* party.
🎬 HERBSTFLIMMERN
6 – 7 November
An annual two-day autumn weekend event organized by the team behind Freiburger Lesbenfilmtage. The mini-festival features a curated selection of lesbian film screenings alongside an evening party.
HAMBURG
FLINTA*STICA
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A community exclusively for FLINTA* (women, lesbians, inter, non-binary, trans, and agender individuals). The initiative curates a regular schedule of events across the city, including parties with local electronic DJs, open mic sessions, pub quizzes, game nights, date nights, and casual bar meetups (FLINTA* Salon), alongside collaborative events such as boat parties on the Frau Hedi.
FLINTA*TRESEN
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Founded in early 2025, this collective organizes monthly bar nights, cultural events, and outdoor meetups exclusively for FLINTA* individuals. Programming rotates between different venues and public spaces across the city, featuring live music, DJ sets spanning punk, pop, and electronic music, drag performances, karaoke, and daytime community picnics.
🎬 HAMBURG INTERNATIONAL QUEER FILM FESTIVAL (HIQFF)
13 – 18 October
Organized since 1995 by the non-profit Querbild e.V., this is Germany’s oldest and largest queer film festival. Held annually over several days in October, HIQFF features film screenings across local cinemas alongside a supporting program of cultural events, discussions, and gatherings.
THE SOCIAL CLUB
🪩 Pop-Up Event
LGBTQ+ FLINTA* bar nights. Check their social media for upcoming events and locations.
KONSTANZ
🎬 QUEERGESTREIFT FILM FESTIVAL
16 – 26 April
One of the oldest queer film festivals in the German-speaking world. The program features contemporary LGBTQAI+ cinema, historical retrospectives, global documentaries, and experimental short films alongside filmmaker panels and local community workshops.
LEIPZIG
BUBBLE BAR
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A queer-feminist solidarity bar night (Solibar) that takes place every second Wednesday. The event is open to all genders and features themed programming, including community games, screenings, workshops, DJ sets, and vegan food offerings. Bubble Bar operates on an anti-racist and solidarity-based framework, with proceeds frequently supporting queer and refugee initiatives, alongside practical solidarity actions like voucher exchanges.
CAFÉ PFUSCH
📍Dohnanyistraße 7
A queer-feminist café hosting community events, including their dinner series Dyke Dinner(’s).
PIXI
📍Georg-Schwarz-Str. 3, Leipzig
A collectively run queer neighborhood pub (Kiezkneipe) and beer garden in western Leipzig. Pixi hosts regular community programming, including monthly drag shows, regular Stammtisch meetups for various groups, tabletop gaming evenings (Magic: The Gathering), and cultural screenings.
🎬 IFFF DORTMUND+KÖLN
22 – 26 April
The International Women’s Film Festival Dortmund+Köln alternates locations between the two cities annually. The festival screens independent cinema directed by women and genderqueer artists, focusing on complex female protagonists, intersectional feminism, and innovative visual narratives.
MUNICH
📚GLITCH
📍Barer Straße 70
This queer-feminist bookshop was reborn from the cherished Lillemor’s, one of Germany's first women's bookstores (est. 1975), after the original owners retired. A new collective of four women saved the space, rebranding it as Glitch but keeping the original sign as a tribute to its legacy. The shop offers a well-curated selection of books, mostly in German with some in English. It continues its predecessor's tradition of being an important community space. As far as I know, it is the only queer bookshop in Munich.
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY:A Bookshop Steeped in Feminist History
THE LEZ
📍Müllerstraße 26
This lesbian-queer center provides space for lesbian women and all FLINTA individuals. It's a place to hang out, meet new people, and attend various events and group meetings. Everyone who feels connected to the LGBTIQ community is welcome.
🎬 QUEER FILM FESTIVAL MÜNCHEN (QFFM)
16 – 23 October
An annual community-focused film festival showcasing an international programme of queer cinema, documentaries, and shorts alongside discussions and special community events. Also features jury awards celebrating innovative queer filmmaking. Check their social media for more information.
STUTTGART
UTOPIA KIOSK
📍Lazarettstr. 5
A queer art and culture space operating with an on-site bar. The venue hosts community programming throughout the week, including Transfemme peer-workshops, DJ sessions, themed nights such as Lesbian* Bar evenings, and a monthly community potluck brunch.
🇬🇷GREECE
ATHENS
B327
📍Sofroniou 4
An LGBTQ+ friendly bar and queer meeting place located in the Gazi district. It is an inclusive, pet-friendly spot hosting community nights, DJ sets, Eurovision-themed parties, and Pride celebrations.
BEAVER COOPERATIVA
📍Megalou Vasileiou 46A
A women-run social cooperative, cafe-bar, and community space established in 2013. Operating on non-hierarchical and collectivist principles, the venue functions as a non-oppressive meeting place and work collective. It hosts cultural events, discussions, and artistic initiatives with a focus on feminist, queer, and trans issues. Check their social media for current opening hours and event schedules.
BUB2LES
A self-organized, Athens-based LGBTQIA+ community initiative creating safe spaces and social activities centered on visibility, community, and empowerment. Operating entirely on voluntary contributions and community collaborations, the group organizes informal gatherings, creative workshops, dance events, and queer recreational basketball games. Check their social media for upcoming meet-ups and locations.
CARABINERS ATHENS
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A FLINTA and lesbian collective organizing political actions, discussions, and community gatherings across Athens. Their events include FLINTA date nights, maker bazaars, workshops, flash tattoo pop-ups, community catwalks, sapphic movie screenings, and DJ nights.
🎬 LESBIAN FEMINIST FILMFESTIVAL
7 – 8 September
📍 Kypseli Municipal Market
Through documentary screenings, panel discussions, art, and live music, the festival explores the vital role of lesbian and LGBTQI+ spaces and why preserving them is so important.
LESBIAN PLAYGROUND
🪩 Pop-Up Event
An Athens-based party and cultural collective dedicated to lesbian, trans, and non-binary visibility and nightlife. Created to reclaim social spaces beyond commercialized queer nightlife, the collective organizes themed club nights, speed-dating parties, DJ sets, and lip-sync battles across rotating venues in the city. Check their social media for upcoming dates and venue locations.
MOTHER VEGAN CAFE BISTRO
📍Dimitrakopoulou 95
A plant-based bistro and cafe serving homemade vegan dishes, sweets, specialty coffee, and organic spirits. It is a daytime spot with a strong local queer presence.
NOIZ CLUB
📍Konstantinoupoleos 78
An LGBTQ+ nightclub hosting DJ sets, Greek pop nights, dance shows, and Pride afterparties. It has historically served as one of the key places in Gazi for lesbians, queer women, and non-binary people.
S-CAPE CLUB
📍Iakkchou 32
An LGBTQ+ dance and nightclub located in the Gazi district. The spot features a dance floor hosting themed party nights, guest DJ sets playing trap, urban, and pop, as well as collaborative queer nightlife projects.
SHAMONE
📍Leoforos Konstantinoupoleos 46
An LGBTQ+ nightclub located in the Gazi district. The space functions as a dance club and performance stage, hosting theatrical productions, live musical performances, drag acts, and weekend DJ sets.
SODADE2
📍Triptolemou 10
Athens' most well-known gay club since the late 1990s, located in the Gazi district with two indoor stages and an outdoor yard. It hosts regular DJ sets, Greek music nights, Eurovision screenings, karaoke sessions, and Pride events.
SKALA ERESSOS (LESBOS)
A small fishing village, legendary as the birthplace of the poet Sappho. For decades, lesbians have followed in her footsteps, creating what may be the only place on earth where lesbians have truly claimed a piece of public space as their own. The international lesbian community runs the majority of the local businesses, from bars and restaurants to shops and meditation centers. The village hosts a major international lesbian festival every year in September. Fun fact: There are no street names, so the best way to get around is simply to ask a local. Here are a few pieces I’ve written about the place:
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: Berlin's Secret Twin
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: Romeo in the Garden
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: How Lesbians Can Find Love
AMAZONES ECO LAND (CLOSED)
The Amazons are reborn on a plot of land. This time around, they have created a women's ecological community and holistic center spanning seven acres near Skala Eressos. It's a space built by and for women, focusing on land care, community, and creative expression. The project offers volunteering opportunities and hosts workshops, retreats, and empowerment events. Contact them through their website or social media for the exact location.
AVATAR
This bar is located at the far end, close to the harbour. It's one of my favourites, perhaps because they feed the stray cats and serve excellent breakfasts and lunches. During the Skala Eressos festival, the small village can sometimes feel crowded. Then, it's nice to get away from it all. This place just gives you that extra space.
FLAMINGO
Run by an English couple, it's a centre for the lesbian community. My favourite evening here was seeing a woman in the crowd sitting with her parrot, which wasn't on a leash. It was just hanging out with friends. You never know who you will meet. Everyone is included.
HARA BEACH BAR
It's one of the popular beach bars/restaurants right on the waterfront.
THE INTERNATIONAL ERESSOS WOMEN’S FESTIVAL
9 – 19 September
Hosted by Sappho Women in Skala Eressos, this celebration founded in 2000 offers friendship, connection and empowerment. With live music, dance, art, trips, workshops, and more!
OHANA SALOON
A queer bar right in the heart of the village. The name 'Ohana,' meaning family (often chosen family), signals its role as a central meeting spot next to the Aegean Sea. They have excellent omelets.
🎬 MAGIC NIGHTS QUEER FILM FESTIVAL
25 –28 May
The Festival is held under the stars in an open-air cinema.
PASSIONI
Italian restaurant run by a lesbian lady. It has a beautiful garden and often hosts performances featuring poetry or music. Here I have heard readings of Sappho and Greek folk music. They have excellent wine and provide a cosy atmosphere.
QUEER RANCH FESTIVAL
18 – 23 May
Enjoy top international electronic DJs, live music, and workshops while celebrating in a safe space centered on the queer lesbian community. All proceeds support an animal sanctuary, LGBTQ+ refugee solidarity, and other animal welfare charities on Lesbos.
THESSALONIKI
ENOLA BAR CLUB
📍Valaoritou 19
The oldest gay bar and club in Thessaloniki, open daily year-round (7 nights a week). It hosts daily parties, DJ sets, drag shows, and special events, including weekly Greek music nights. Program updates are published on their Instagram account.
SOUSOURO PARTY
📍Leoforos Nikis 63
A recurring queer party series hosted on Wednesday nights (after 22:00). Like To Karoto Project, it takes place at Niki Potokafeneio. Updates, dates, and event announcements are shared via their Instagram account.
TO KAROTO PROJECT
📍Leoforos Nikis 63
A queer party collective that organises weekly events on Tuesday nights as well as occasional weekend parties. The events feature local DJ sets and are hosted at the bar Niki Potokafeneio. Updates on dates, guest DJs, and venues are posted on their Instagram account.
🇭🇺HUNGARY
BUDAPEST
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: 5 Queer Monologues on Being Scapegoated
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: When Deep Love Takes Action
AURORA MODULARIS CLOSED
📍Auróra utca 11
A great place to relax. A small courtyard, live music, and a bar serving cocktails. It's also a key venue for Budapest Pride and a center for activism, founded on democratic principles. The courtyard was one of the few public places in the entire city where I could see a Pride flag.
DYKES ON HIKES
LGBTQ hiking around Budapest? This group might be for you.
EDITH
📍 Nagymező utca 25
A bar, club, and cultural venue, described by the creators as a place David Lynch would love. Located in central Budapest, it functions as a queer-friendly space hosting a mix of events, from live music, jazz, and electronic DJ sets to film nights, runway shows, and cultural talk series about community and creative resilience. Check their Instagram for current lineups.
GABY’S BUDAPEST
📍Katona József 41
A dog-friendly American restaurant that's a go-to spot for the LGBTQ+ community. Open all day and into the night.
📚ISBN+
📍Baross utca 42
Independent art bookshop and cultural center. An extensive selection of English and queer books.
LABRISZ LESBIAN ASSOCIATION
Active since 1996, it's one of Hungary's oldest and most important LGBTQ+ organizations. They are known for their groundbreaking school program that combats prejudice, co-organizing Budapest Pride, running a significant publishing program that gives voice to lesbian and bisexual women, and hosting cultural events like a long-running film club.
📚MASSOLIT BOOKS & CAFÉ
📍Nagy Diófa utca 30
English-language queer friendly bookstore and café.
MODULÁRIS
📍 Nagy Fuvaros utca 6/2
A self-organized community base, cafe-bar, and alternative cultural space located in Budapest's 8th district. The collective hosts a wide range of community events, including queer film screenings, women-only open mic nights, human rights documentary discussions, workshops, and bar evenings. Check their social media for current weekly opening hours and events.
TURBINA
📍Vajdahunyad Street 4
By day, its 1,300 square meters host everything from art exhibitions and workshops to craft fairs, with a bistro perfect for work or a chat. By night, it becomes a powerhouse of the city's techno and house music scene, hosting top-tier local and international DJs.
WHY NOT
📍Belgrád rakpart 3-4
A café by day and a bar by night, hosting events like karaoke and bingo.
🇮🇸ICELAND
COMMUNITY MEDIA
GAYICELAND
An English-language online magazine covering news, culture, history, and community stories about LGBTQI+ life in Iceland. For more information, see their website and Instagram.
REYKJAVIK
BAR 22
📍 Laugavegur 22
A queer bar and social space in central Reykjavik, located right next to Kiki Queer Bar at the same address. The venue serves as a central community hub featuring a weekly program of DJ sets, karaoke nights, and drag shows.
DYKE NITE REYKJAVIK
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A community and event platform for queer women and non-binary people in Reykjavik. The collective organizes parties and club nights with live performances, DJs, and dance floors, creating a welcoming and safe space for the local sapphic community.
📚 GARG BOOKSTORE
📍Hofsvallagata 16
A community-run bookstore and gathering space dedicated to feminist and queer literature, poetry, and self-published works. Garg hosts monthly Listening Room reading circles, open mic nights, and workshops.
KIKI QUEER BAR
📍 Laugavegur 22
Reykjavik’s main dedicated LGBTQ+ nightclub and bar, located on the central shopping street. Recognizable by its rainbow-painted exterior, the venue operates as a lively weekend party spot hosting DJ nights, dance parties, and regular drag shows, welcoming the broader queer community and allies. For more information, see their Instagram.
PINK ICELAND
A dedicated LGBTQI+ travel and wedding planning agency founded in 2011 by a local lesbian couple and their friend. The queer-owned operator specializes in tailor-made holidays, guided day tours, and destination weddings, as well as producing community events and festivals across the country. For more information, see their Instagram.
SAMTÖKIN '78
📍 Suðurgata 3
Iceland’s national LGBTQI+ organisation, founded in 1978. Operating from its community centre in central Reykjavik, the organisation provides advocacy, legal and social counselling, educational programmes, and regular community social nights and support groups for queer individuals nationwide. For more information, see their Instagram.
🇮🇪IRELAND
CORK
LESBIAN LIVES CONFERENCE
15 – 17 May
Focusing on lesbian studies, creativity, and activism, it draws scholars, artists, and activists from around the world. Alongside academic panels and workshops, it features dedicated queer film screenings and community-led social activities across Cork City.
LINQ IRELAND
📍White Street 11a
A community organisation dedicated to improving the health, well-being, and quality of life for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women, including trans and non-binary individuals, across Ireland. Operating from their space on White Street in Cork, they provide social connection, support, resources, and community events.
🎬 PRIOSMA QUEER FILM FESTIVAL CORK
10 – 13 September
It hosts a selection of international feature and short film screenings, industry talks, and collaborations with local community projects focusing on LGBTQ+ representation.
DUBLIN
DYKONIC: QUEER WOMEN + MUSIC FESTIVAL
Something's coming June 27th
An independent festival dedicated to queer voices and underrepresented artists through music and community.
🎬 GAZE INTERNATIONAL LGBTQIA FILM FESTIVAL
28 July – 3 August
Founded in 1992, it screens more than 100 Irish and international features, documentaries, and short films. The event includes industry panels, filmmaker workshops, and networking events.
THE GEORGE
📍 89 South Great George's Street
First opened as a shellfish tavern in 1780 on the medieval site of the Church of St. George, the venue transitioned into a pub in the early 1800s. In the 1990s, it was established as a dedicated LGBTQ+ bar and nightclub. It has served as a central hub for Dublin's queer community for over 40 years, playing an active role in Ireland's equality movements, including the Marriage Referendum, while regularly hosting drag shows and club nights.
STREET 66
📍33-34 Parliament Street
An LGBTQIA+ bar with events including regular drag shows, live music, and DJ nights. Famous for their dog-friendly policy.
GALWAY
HOUSE OF SAPPHO
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A sapphic and FLINTA-centred live music collective based in Galway, Ireland. Operating as a pop-up initiative across local venues and outdoor spaces, the group organises music events, acoustic showcases, and community gatherings featuring queer and female artists.
🇮🇹ITALY
BADIA TEDALDA, AREZZO (TUSCANY)
LA PORTA TERRADIDONNE
📍Rioveggio, Monzuno (Emilia-Romagna)
A rural retreat and community space for lesbians and women located in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. The project offers a center for shamanic studies, personal growth, healing practices, and nature-based gatherings, including an annual festival held August 13–15.
BARI
MIXED QUEER
📍Via Abbrescia 13
An independent LGBTQIA+ association and community space. It offers support groups, including a weekly trans group, social events, and activist organizing. Check their social media for current schedules and activities.
BOLOGNA
CIRCOLO CIRCUS
📍Via Capo di Lucca 29/3G
A community-run social club and cultural venue in Bologna operated by the FreeKK House Project. The space functions as a queer safe space and hosts a variety of events, including drag performances, workshops, queer tango classes, and political and community fundraisers. Upcoming events and schedules are shared via their Instagram account.
📚LIBRERIA DELLE DONNE DI BOLOGNA
📍Via San Felice 16/A
An independent feminist bookshop founded as a dedicated space for gender studies, feminism, and transfeminism. It doubles as a community space hosting public events, book launches, collective reading groups, and political discussions featuring international activists and authors. Up-to-date opening hours and event schedules are shared via their Instagram account and Telegram channel.
METALESBO
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Italy's largest women-only queer party concept. They host major pop-up nightlife events in Milan, Rimini, Florence and Bologna. Open to cis, trans, and queer women, as well as non-binary individuals. Check their Instagram for upcoming dates, cities, and ticket info.
🎬 SOME PREFER CAKE
18 – 20 September
An international lesbian and feminist film festival. It showcases a program of independent features, documentaries, and short films from around the world, while also creating a space with director Q&As, debates, book presentations, art exhibits, and DJ sets.
CAGLIARI (SARDINIA)
LESBEACH
August 28 – 30
📍 Poetto beach
An annual lesbian festival held at Poetto Beach. Organized by Sardinia Friendly, the event features beachside music, DJ sets, and social activities.
FLORENCE
🎬FLORENCE QUEER FESTIVAL
November 19 – 22
📍Via Camillo Cavour 50/r
An international LGBTQ+ film festival held at Cinema La Compagnia. Founded in 2003 and organized by the local association IREOS. It screens feature films, documentaries, and shorts, as well as hosting talks, live performances, and social events.
METALESBO
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Italy's largest women-only queer party concept. They host major pop-up nightlife events in Milan, Rimini, Florence and Bologna. Open to cis, trans, and queer women, as well as non-binary individuals. Check their Instagram for upcoming dates, cities, and ticket info.
GENOA
LOSKA
📍Via di Sant’Agnese 23–25r
A queer bar and safer space hosting social evenings, book presentations, talks, and community gatherings. During the summer months, the bar collaborates with nearby venues to host recurring open-air dance and DJ nights (Loskandalo).
MILAN
📚ANTIGONE
📍Via Antonio Kramer 20
A queer bookstore specializing in gender studies, feminism, and queer theory.
BUTTERFLY MILANO
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Exclusive women-only events in Milan. Check out their social media for updates.
L*EX
🪩 Pop-Up Event
One of Milan’s largest party concepts for lesbians and queer women. They host a range of nightlife and daytime events, from club nights and pool parties to Sunday brunches, karaoke, and aperitivos. Check their Instagram for upcoming dates and venues.
METALESBO
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Italy's largest women-only queer party concept. They host major pop-up nightlife events in Milan, Rimini, Florence and Bologna. Open to cis, trans, and queer women, as well as non-binary individuals. Check their Instagram for upcoming dates and cities.
🎬 MIX INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF LGBTQ+ CINEMA
17 – 20 September
Italy's leading LGBTQ+ film festival running since 1986. It screens independent queer features, documentaries, and short films, combining political engagement with a multidisciplinary approach that explores all aspects of queer culture.
POP MILANO
📍Via Alessandro Tadino, 5
Transfeminist cocktail bar hosting networking events.
NAPLES
GATTÒ BISTROT
📍Viale Privato D'Amore 29 (Located in Portici, 10 km from central Naples)
The bistro is home to several rescued cats that live on the premises full-time. The menu is entirely vegetarian and vegan, offering savory dishes, homemade desserts, craft beers, and cocktails. There is no admission fee; visitors only pay for what they order. Because seating is limited, advance reservations are strongly recommended.
GRAN VARIETÀ FEMMINILE
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A Naples-based queer initiative and collective that hosts regular pop-up events across the city. They bring together the local LGBTQ+ community for aperitivi, social nights, and cultural events with a focus on lesbian and queer stories. Since they do not have a permanent physical location, upcoming venues and dates are announced directly on their social media.
NAPOLI QUEER FESTIVAL
14 – 19 April
📍Via Montecalvario 16
📍Vico Lungo Teatro Nuovo 110
A multidisciplinary event for queer culture and performing arts. It serves as a meeting space for the community, presenting new artists to the local cultural scene and hosting discussions on queerness and non-conforming identities.
OSTUNI
SHEROCCO FESTIVAL
1 – 5 July
It promotes queer culture, fights prejudice, and engages young people through shows, talks, and workshops to combat discrimination.
PALERMO
🎬 SICILIA QUEER FILMFEST
25 – 31 May
Promoting cinematographic culture and combating social discrimination. Focuses on emerging talent, independent cinema, and unconventional or experimental films that explore new visual languages.
PADUA
AMA PARTY
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Via Vicenza 47
A queer party and karaoke night for women, held at Barabba bar. The event features DJ sets, karaoke, and social gatherings. Check upcoming dates on their Instagram page.
CHICA PARTY
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A lesbian and queer-friendly party that hosts pop-up events and nightlife gatherings across venues in Padua. Check upcoming dates and locations on their Instagram page.
PERUGIA
BEQUEER
🪩 Pop-Up Event
The main LGBTQIA+ party night in Umbria, organized by the local association Omphalos LGBTI. Events feature DJs, stage performances, and drag shows with a strong focus on safer space policies. A free shuttle bus often runs from central Perugia (Piazza Partigiani) on event nights. Check their Instagram for upcoming dates.
RIMINI
METALESBO
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Italy's largest women-only queer party concept. They host major pop-up nightlife events in Milan, Rimini, Florence and Bologna. Open to cis, trans, and queer women, as well as non-binary individuals. Check their Instagram for upcoming dates, cities, and ticket info.
ROME
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: Rome Killed My Curiosity
📚ANTIGONE
📍Via dei Piceni 1
A queer bookstore specializing in gender studies, feminism, and queer theory.
CASA INTERNAZIONALE DELLE DONNE
📍Via della Lungara, 19
Established in 1992 after a feminist occupation, it's an autonomous center promoting women's policy. It houses a restaurant, guesthouse, and conference center, serving as a space for women's rights, knowledge sharing, and support.
Fun Fact: It's located in a former women's prison.
COMING OUT
📍Via S. Giovanni i Laterano, 8
Talk about a street with a view. This restaurant has been a cornerstone in Rome's Gay Street LGBTQ+ scene since 2001. At the end of the street: the Colosseum!
CONCHƏ COLLECTIVE (CONCH3 COLLECTIVE)
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A transfeminist FLINTA collective organising outdoor community picnics and hangouts. Their events feature self-defense workshops, crochet lessons, somatic practices, tarot readings, arts and crafts, and DJ sets.
DYKE MARCH ITALIA
3 October
The second Italian national Dyke March, taking to the streets of Rome as a grassroots political and visibility demonstration. Rooted in transfeminist and anti-patriarchal resistance, the march welcomes lesbians, bisexuals, trans people, non-binary individuals, femmes, and butches. Check their Instagram for route details, assembly points, and event updates.
GAY CENTER
📍Via Nicola Zabaglia 14
The Center actively works against discrimination, running a help desk that offers advice, services and support to LGBT+ individuals. It’s also an important gathering space for numerous community groups.
🎬 IMMAGINARIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
8 – 10 May
Italy's first independent film festival dedicated to lesbian and feminist themes. It screens international films by female directors about the lives, culture, and history of the community. The festival was founded in Bologna in 1993 by the Visibilia association.
MY BAR
📍Via S. Giovanni i Laterano, 12
An LGBTQ+ friendly cocktail cafe with a street terrace overlooking the Colosseum.
MUCCASSASSINA
📍Viale Marcello Boldrini 7
Since the early '90s, this legendary club has been in action. It started as a fundraiser for the Mario Mieli LGBTQ+ rights association. It's known worldwide for its music, technology, and its queer nights.
SAFFFO FESTIVAL, ITALY
2026 Edition COMING SOON!
Founded in Rome in 2022 by Marta Massarelli and Lucy Bellotti, the artistic collective Safffo (with three f’s) creates independent queer and dyke* spaces. They offer an alternative to mainstream LGBTQIA+ nightlife, focusing on consent, freedom of expression, and art. The collective also collaborates internationally, including with Berlin-based Magic Dyke*.
📚 TUBA
📍Via del Pigneto 39/a
Open since 2007, this feminist and lesbian-run bookstore, cafe, and bar is located in Rome's Pigneto district. It’s a space dedicated to women's creativity and art, offering books, events, and a safe, inclusive community. Tuba also collaborates with local groups to fight discrimination.
STREVI
GRINGHIGNA
📍check @gringhigna for visit details
Founded in 2022 by Roberta, Gringhigna is a woman-run queer vineyard and agricultural project located in Strevi, Piedmont. The initiative operates as an inclusive space within the traditionally patriarchal viticulture sector, producing its own line of wines and hosting community harvest events (vendemmia queer). Alongside direct wine sales and nationwide shipping in Italy, the project collaborates with non-profit organizations and queer associations through events and charitable initiatives.
TORRE DEL LAGO
LESWEEK FESTIVAL
July 20 – 26
📍Viale Europa 5
A week-long summer festival dedicated to lesbian and bisexual women, held annually in the queer-friendly beach town of Torre del Lago, Tuscany. It features beach parties, sports tournaments, DJ sets, and social gatherings.
TREVISO
CHICA PARTY
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A lesbian and queer-friendly party that hosts pop-up events and nightlife gatherings across venues in the Treviso area. Check upcoming dates and locations on their Instagram page.
MADAME
🪩 Pop-Up Event
An LGBTQ+ party and social event aimed at women, frequently hosting aperitivos, dinners, and nightlife events at Habitat Le Bandie in Carbonera, 6 km from Treviso. Check dates and entry requirements on their Instagram page.
TURIN
LEZNMORE
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A FLINTA-focused collective hosting queer parties, most notably their Dyke Floor club nights. The events focus on creating a safe and inclusive space for women, trans, and queer individuals. Check their Instagram for upcoming dates and venues.
🎬 LOVERS FILM FESTIVAL
16 – 21 April
Lovers is Europe's oldest and most important LGBTQ+ film festival, featuring a screening program open to everyone. During the festival, it also hosts a two-day networking forum for professionals in the queer film industry.
📚 NORA BOOK & COFFEE
📍Via delle Orfane 24d
A café and bookstore specialising in gender themes, feminisms, and LGBTQIAP+ culture.
🇱🇻 LATVIA
RIGA
📚 EX LIBRIS
📍 Dzirnavu iela 51, Riga
An independent English-language bookstore and café in central Riga with a queer-friendly atmosphere. While not an exclusively FLINTA-owned space, it occasionally hosts community gatherings and queer book club sessions, including meetups connected to Active Rainbow's The Plot is Queer initiative. A quiet, social hub for coffee and reading.
LGBT HOUSE RIGA
📍 Stabu iela 19
A community center run by the local LGBTQ+ organization Mozaīka, providing a safe space in central Riga. It functions as the primary physical space for local sapphic and FLINTA gatherings, workshops, and zine-making events hosted by grassroots initiatives like Active Rainbow (Spot the L*). Features a community library, co-working areas, and social meetups.
SKAPIS
📍 Aristida Briāna iela 9a
A queer club, bar, and community space run under the motto "Culture. Party. Community." The venue hosts a variety of events including monthly evening drag shows hosted by the local drag scene, ballroom functions, themed club nights (from K-pop to late-night DJ sets), and social gatherings.
SPOT THE L* (ACTIVE RAINBOW)
📍 LGBT House, Stabu iela 19
A grassroots initiative organised by Active Rainbow in Riga, dedicated to lesbian, bisexual, and queer women as well as non-binary individuals. The project hosts community meetups, creative workshops, zine-making sessions, and discussions at the LGBT House on Stabu iela and rotating local cultural venues.
🇱🇹LITHUANIA
KAUNAS
🏳️🌈 KAUNAS PRIDE
12 September
A non-commercial, grassroots protest and only the city’s second pride march ever, organised as an essential alternative to corporate pride events outside the capital. Led by local activists with women and queer feminists at the forefront of the struggle in a challenging regional climate. Preceded by community banner workshops and fundraisers. Check their Instagram for route updates, calls to action, and donation links.
KAVARSKAS
SAPFO FEST
31 July – 2 August
📍 Saugus atstumas campsite, near Kavarskas (Anykščiai district)
An independent, community-initiated festival founded in 2012, originating from PiLeFe, to connect and empower the queer-feminist community. Set at a rural DIY campsite, the program features workshops, discussions, DIY art, performances, films, and music focused on grassroots activism and community building. Check their website and social media for upcoming announcements.
VILNIUS
GENDER WRONGS
A queer-feminist basketball team and pop-up party collective founded in 2009, centering queer women and non-binary people. Combines weekly recreational and league basketball, SKL women’s league, with independent, non-commercial club nights and dance events across the city. Check their Instagram for open practice sessions and upcoming parties.
🎬 KREIVĖS
Vilnius: 4–9 September
Kaunas: 11–12 September
A cultural and social queer festival founded in 2014, organized by "Išgirsti" alongside community activists and artists. Focuses on queer cinema screenings alongside readings, exhibitions, discussions, and parties across both cities. Check their website and social media for full screening programs and venue listings.
🇳🇱NETHERLANDS
NATIONWIDE
JANEY
A recurring event series for women who love women (wlw), hosting club nights across rotating venues in cities such as Amsterdam and Utrecht alongside an outdoor summer festival, Janey Beach Festival. According to the organisers, it is the largest wlw party in the Netherlands.
LESBIVAL
A Dutch queer collective organizing events for lesbians and queer women (21+). The platform hosts an annual multi-day summer camping festival in Alphen alongside recurring parties and club nights in Amsterdam.
AMSTERDAM
BAR BUKA
📍Albert Cuypstraat 124
Located in Amsterdam's De Pijp area, this queer bar is popular among women. They host a variety of events each month, from pub quizzes and open mics to speed dating and DJ nights. Check their Instagram or Facebook to see what's coming up. Wheelchair accessible.
CAFÉ 'T MANDJE
📍Zeedijk 63
A historic queer and lesbian brown café in Amsterdam, originally opened in 1927 by the iconic queer figure Bet van Beeren. Recognized as one of the world's oldest surviving LGBTQ+ bars, the venue operates as an open neighborhood bar featuring a jukebox, weekly karaoke sing-alongs, and an interior preserved with historical memorabilia.
CAFÉ SAAREIN
📍Elandsstraat 119
It was started by a women's collective in 1978, including pioneers from Dolle Minas, Paarse September, Lesbian Nation, as a much-needed women-only café. It became a feminist stronghold and legendary queer space. Today it is one of Amsterdam's oldest and most famous feminist/queer bars. A piece of Dutch women's and queer cultural heritage. Check out their Instagram for upcoming events.
🎬 FEMMAZING FESTIVAL
24 May
This large-scale women+ only festival creates a safe and inclusive space for connection and celebrating femininity. It features three stages with over 22 female artists and DJs, alongside activities, workshops, lounge areas, food, and cocktails.
THE MINA COLLECTIVE
A queer FLINTA collective based in Amsterdam and Barcelona. They organise regular social events, speed networking, and gatherings. Check their Instagram for upcoming dates.
🎬 ROZE FILMDAGEN: AMSTERDAM QUEER FILM FESTIVAL
10 – 21 March 2027
It started as a small underground event but now draws over 10,000 visitors annually. It screens international cinema and curates LGBTQ+ programs for other festivals.
UTRECHT
🎬 QUEER FILM FESTIVAL UTRECHT (QFFU)
29 August – 5 September
A volunteer-run festival dedicated to queer cinema. The program includes local and international film screenings, director Q&As, panel discussions, and workshops. Under the theme "Here, we are," this edition focuses on films that break traditional boundaries and show new perspectives. The festival also supports emerging talent through its "10-Minute Challenge" filmmaking competition.
🇳🇴NORWAY
BERGEN
FINCKEN
📍Nygårdsgaten 2A
Established on May 17, 1992, Fincken is Bergen’s oldest LGBTQ+ bar. The two-floor venue features a ground-floor pub and an upstairs dance floor, hosting regular DJ sets, parties, and community events.
OSLO
THE AGENDA
📍St. Olavs plass 2
An LGBTQ+ bar located near St. Olavs plass in central Oslo. It operates as a community-driven bar and social space hosting themed events, parties, and DJ sets.
BABA BAR
📍Storgata 13
Founded by women from the community, Baba Bar is a queer, multicultural bar and social space located in Strøgetpassasjen. It features an indoor bar and seating area, hosting regular DJ sets, music events, and community gatherings
DYKES N' BIKES OSLO
📍 Various locations
A community cycling group for queer folks, welcoming anyone who identifies with bikes and community rides. They organise social cycling meetups around the city and coordinate rides via their Signal group. For upcoming rides and route updates, see their Instagram.
KARMAKLUBB*
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A queer collective and platform based in Oslo. Active year-round, they host club nights, DJ sets, and cultural events. Check their social media for events.
LONDON PUB
📍Pilestredet 9
Established in 1979, London Pub is Norway's oldest existing LGBTQ+ pub and nightclub. The ground floor features a pub, cocktail bar, and pool table, hosting weekly karaoke, quiz, and drag bingo nights. The connected upper floor operates as a nightclub with a dance floor and DJs from Thursday to Saturday.
🎬 OSLO/FUSION FILM FESTIVAL
18 – 23 September
Founded in 1990, this is Norway's only film festival dedicated to the LGBTQIA2S+ and QTBIPOC communities. Features international screenings, panel discussions, and events that focus on identity, gender, personal expression, and human rights activism.
OSLO GAY RUNNING CLUB
A running group for the LGBTQ+ community and allies in Oslo. The club organizes regular social runs and group training sessions around the city, often ending with social meetups. Schedule and meeting points are posted on their social media.
OSLO QUEER LINE DANCE
📍 Various locations
A queer line dance group and social night founded in 2025. Welcoming all skill levels with no partner needed, they host casual workshops and dance parties at spots across the city, from MUNCH to local clubs. Check their Instagram for class schedules and upcoming events.
OSLO QUEER STREET BASKETBALL
📍 Monrads gate 15
An inclusive, queer-centred street basketball meetup for adults (18+) of all skill levels. They get together weekly for casual sessions at Botanisk Basketballbane on Tøyen (moving indoors nearby if it rains). Check their Instagram for current times and weather updates.
SKOKS
📍Margit Hansens gate 3
A community cultural centre and volunteer space in Oslo dedicated to queer art, history, and culture. The venue hosts workshops, literary talks, craft sessions, living archive projects, and exhibitions.
SWEATY SOCIAL CLUB
📍 Various locations
A community sports group in Oslo for queer and trans folk, with allies welcome too. They organise social bike rides, casual 3x3 basketball tournaments, and other outdoor meetups focused on getting active together. For more information, see their Instagram and Linktree.
QUEER SAUNA SESSIONS
📍 Various locations
A monthly sauna meetup organised by and for Oslo’s queer community, run in partnership with Oslo Badstuforening and Karma Klubben. Sessions pair community relaxation in the heat with curated DJ mixtapes and playlists, usually followed by casual drinks together.
STAVANGER
STAVANGER SAPPHICS
A grassroots community group in Stavanger, Norway, organising social gatherings for sapphic women, including trans, non-binary, bisexual, and pansexual individuals. The group arranges alcohol-free outdoor activities, pre-parties, and social meetups at various locations across the city.
TROMSØ
OPEN OUT FESTIVAL
5 – 12 September
📍 Tromsø Kunstforening, Mellomvegen 82
An annual week-long queer art festival established in 2017, taking place in Tromsø. Hosted at Tromsø Kunstforening, the programme showcases work by LGBTQ+ artists through a central contemporary art exhibition alongside live performances, workshops, social gatherings, and evening events.
🇵🇱POLEN
KRAKÓW
LATAWICA
Also knows as the Flying Dyke* Bar. A feminist and queer-friendly bar/café. Every first and third Friday of the month, they host a dedicated "FLINTA*" event. Check Instagram for location details.
WARSZAWA
🎬 17th LGBT+ FILM FESTIVAL POLAND 2026
📍 Warszawa 🗓️ 10 – 18 April
📍 Wroclaw 🗓️ 17 – 23 April
📍 Cracow 🗓️ 17 – 23 April
📍 Poznan 🗓️ 17 – 23 April
📍 Online 🗓️ 18 April – May 3
🎬 POST PORN ARTS FEST (PPAF)
May
Focusing on post-pornography, feminist art, queer theory, and body politics. The event features independent film screenings, contemporary art exhibitions, performative activities, educational workshops, and panels that explore sexuality, desire, and resistance outside of mainstream media.
SAPPHICS OF WARSAW
An international community group for lesbians and sapphic women based in Warsaw. The group organises monthly social meetups, with activities such as pub quizzes, pool, and bowling held at local venues. Prospective members join via a private WhatsApp group after approval by direct message.
🇵🇹PORTUGAL
NATIONWIDE
ILGA PORTUGAL
📍Rua dos Fanqueiros 40, Lisbon
A national organisation working for LGBTI+ rights across Portugal since 1995. According to the organisation, it is the oldest LGBTI+ association in the country. Their work covers legal support, psychological counselling, advocacy, and community education, alongside operating a community centre with a library and social spaces in Lisbon.
LISBON
CLUBE CENSURADAS
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A sapphic club and event series exclusively for women who love women, lesbians, and bisexuals. They host parties featuring music, themed activities, and connection. Check their social media to find upcoming dates.
CLUBE SAFO
An association focused on advocating for lesbian rights, promoting visibility, and hosting cultural and community events in Porto and Lisbon. Running events like "The King Thang" drag king shows in Porto and Lisbon, bringing in international and local performers. They also collaborate with other queer organizations, like Haus of Kiteria and Queer Porto Tour. For more information check out their website.
🎬 QUEER LISBOA
18 – 26 September
Portugal’s longest-running film festival, established in 1997. It programs international and Portuguese queer cinema, featuring competitions for best feature film, documentary, short film, and queer art. The event includes retrospectives, director Q&As, debates, exhibitions, and performances.
SÁFICAS
📍Rua do Vale de Santo António 48C
A sapphic cultural space and community bar in Lisbon dedicated to queer women and sapphic culture. The venue functions as a social gathering spot hosting open mic sessions, live acoustic music, dance workshops, and community parties.
SEXATRONIKA
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A FLINTA-led music and art collective organising electronic music club nights and multidisciplinary performances in Lisbon. The events feature DJs, electronic music, and performance art, operating across rotating venues in the city.
MADEIRA
SÁFICAS MADEIRA
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Dedicated to cis and trans women, non-binary individuals, and the broader LGBTQIA+ community, the initiative organises social meetups, cultural gatherings, and queer events across the island.
PORTO
📚 LIVRARIA ABERTA
📍Rua do Paraíso, 297-299
Porto’s first independent queer bookstore, opened in 2021. The collection focuses on literature and studies covering LGBTQIAPN+, feminist, and racial themes.
🎬 PORTO FEMME
12 – 18 April 2027
This festival aims to give visibility to women and non-binary people. They have a special focus on lesbian and queer cinema, with dedicated screenings and programs. Since 2017, they also host the PORTO FEMME SESSIONS on the last Wednesday of each month, creating a space for debate and reflection on a wide range of topics. Check their social media for location.
🎬 QUEER PORTO
3 – 7 November
It features multidisciplinary programming tailored to the northern city, combining Portuguese premieres with fictional, documentary, and short film competitions alongside educational activities.
QUEER PORTO TOUR
A queer tourist guide in Porto, tired of repetitive mainstream narratives, created this tour to give voice to the forgotten and silenced stories of women and dissident bodies. For more information about the citywalks, check out their website.For more information about the citywalks, check out their website.
🇷🇴ROMANIA
BRAȘOV
BRAȘOV (PRIDE BRAȘOV)
🪩 Pop-Up Event
An LGBTQIA+ community initiative organising outdoor community picnics, social hikes and workshops. Check their social media for upcoming events.
BUCHAREST
🎬 ART200: INTERNATIONAL QUEER CULTURE FESTIVAL
October, Dates TBA
Promoting queer art and cinema in Romania. The program features international and local film screenings, poetry readings, workshops, and concerts, focusing on intersectional identities and challenging stereotypes.
CONTROL CLUB
📍Strada Constantin Mille 4
A major alternative and electronic music venue. While operating as a mainstream alternative club, it frequently hosts independent queer parties, cultural events, and Bucharest Pride afterparties.
CORP
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A platform representing female-identified and non-binary electronic music artists. The collective hosts inclusive parties, talks, and educational events for marginalized communities, trans individuals, and people of color. They operate without a fixed venue, with upcoming events announced through their platforms.
SQWEEZ
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A queer electronic music platform hosting fast-paced techno and trance events, often under the name Fetichista. Operating across secret locations, the collective combines nightlife with film screenings, educational projects, and dedicated dancefloor awareness teams. All upcoming dates and secret locations are announced through their platforms.
Q CLUB
📍Strada Verzișori 20
A LGBTQ+ nightclub featuring multiple rooms with different music and an outdoor summer yard. They frequently host drag shows, themed parties, and international guest performers.
VULGAR
According to the organisation, this is the first registered lesbian feminist association in Romania. It is a trans inclusive lesbian feminist NGO established in Bucharest in 2023 for sapphic women and non-binary people. Their work focuses on research into healthcare access for LBTQ+ people, educational guides on safe spaces, and documentation of queer history through public panels, archival screenings, and community discussions.
TIMIȘOARA
CLUB ELIXIR
📍Strada Gheorghe Lazăr 9
They host weekend LGBTQIA+ club nights featuring DJ sets, themed parties, and regular drag/cabaret performances.
🇷🇸SERBIA
BELGRADE
🎬 MERLINKA FESTIVAL
3 – 6 December, Dates TBA
This festival is held annually at the Belgrade Youth Center. Named in honor of murdered trans activist Vjeran Miladinović Merlinka, the event screens international features, documentaries, and short films to promote LGBTQ+ visibility in the Balkan region.
🇸🇮SLOVENIA
LJUBLJANA
🎬 SLOVENIAN LGBT FILM FESTIVAL
7 – 14 December
Founded in 1984, this is Europe's oldest LGBT film festival and Slovenia's oldest international film festival. The event screens international independent features, documentaries, and shorts alongside public debates on queer rights and history.
🇪🇸SPAIN
INOUTRADIO
Podcast
A Spanish podcast and digital media platform dedicated to sapphic and lesbian culture. InOutRadio covers books, series, pop culture, and social issues affecting the community, serving as an engaging space for sapphic representation and conversation across the Spanish-speaking world.
REVISTA MÍRALES
A digital magazine
A community dedicated to lesbian and bisexual women across Spain and Latin America. Revista MíraLES publishes content covering culture, news, lifestyle, and LGBTQ+ visibility, providing a platform focused on sapphic representation and community engagement.
US, THE LESBIANS
Digital project
An online community platform dedicated to sapphic, lesbian, and bisexual culture and aesthetics. The project curates and shares visual content, art, pop culture, and historical imagery centered on sapphic identity.
LES ARRIONDES
ROMERÍA CUIR
3 – 6 september
Romería Cuir is an annual rural cultural, sports, and leisure festival held in Arriondas, Asturias. Taking its name from the traditional Spanish rural festival, the event functions as an inclusive LGTBIQA+ gathering away from major cities, featuring community activities, sports, and cultural events.
BARCELONA (CATALONIA)
BAR EL 12
📍Carrer del Sant Crist 23
A queer bar located in the Sants district of Barcelona. The venue serves drinks and food as a community meeting space.
BBK+
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A community-focused collective based primarily in Madrid, with occasional events in Barcelona (such as in collaboration with @laraposapoblesec). They organise pop-up events and temporary gatherings for women, lesbians, trans, queer, pansexual, and non-binary people. Since their locations vary, the best way to find out about upcoming events is to follow them on social media.
BONITA WOMAN FESTIVAL
26 – 28 June📍 Plaça Major de Nou Barris
Launched in 2023, Barcelona's Women's Festival is created by and for women, to create a space where women were free to be themselves and express their identities. The festival features national and international artists from different musical genres, alongside sports, food, art, and community gatherings.
CARITA BONITA
📍Carrer de Balmes, 69
Looking for the classic lesbian bar in Barcelona? Carita Bonita is it.
CANDY DARLING
📍Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 586
Located just a stone's throw from Carita Bonita, Candy Darling is a popular queer bar. On Monday nights, the venue hosts a FLINTA*-focused party curated and hosted by the collective Mesientoextranya.
CHESSBIAN
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A social chess event and community for lesbian and bisexual women, as well as the wider FLINTA community. Starting as a pop-up alternative to dating apps, the concept combines chess with music, drinks, and DJ sets. They have a sister event in Madrid, sharing the same name and Instagram account.
🎬 CIRCLES LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL
3 – 5 december
A cultural platform dedicated to curating lesbian, bisexual, and queer films from around the world. Based in Barcelona, the festival hosts film screenings, events, and community discussions focused on sapphic cinema and storytelling. For more info see social media.
🎬 MOSTRA FIRE!!
4 – 14 June
Founded in 1995 by Casal Lambda, this is the first LGTBI film festival in Spain. Focusing on affective diversity through a selection of international feature films, documentaries, and short films, with a strong emphasis on art-house cinema and human rights.
LAS PIBAS PRODUCEN
A transfeminist community and cultural network based in Barcelona, originally originating from Argentina. The collective works to promote gender equality within the cultural and creative industries, hosting events, live performances, workshops, and networking initiatives for women, trans, and non-binary professionals. Details regarding upcoming events and projects are shared via their Instagram account.
📚LA RAPOSA
📍Tapioles, 47 bajos
A feminist cooperative in Barcelona's Poble Sec neighbourhood, housing both a vegan bar and a feminist bookstore. The cooperative is also a community space, organising regular cultural and recreational activities for all ages.
NENIS LESBIAN PARTIES
Carrer de Casanova, 171
They throw huge lesbian parties around Barcelona on a roughly monthly basis. Check their social media for dates and locations.
THE MINA COLLECTIVE
A queer FLINTA collective based in Barcelona and Amsterdam. They organise regular social events, speed networking, and gatherings. Check their Instagram for upcoming dates.
PAPAYA CLUB BARCELONA
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A community focusing on connecting Latina girls, open to queer women, non-binary, and trans-inclusive folks. Papaya Club hosts social gatherings featuring reggaeton and dembow DJ sets, drag shows, tarot readings, and interactive matchmaking activities.
TITANIC BARCELONA
📍C/ Muntaner 34
A bar located in Barcelona’s Eixample district, creating a space for women and the queer community. The venue offers drinks, music, and a social setting. For line-ups and details see social media.
BILBAO
🎬 ZINEGOAK FESTIVAL
An annual international LGTBIQ+ film and performing arts festival based in Bilbao. The festival showcases a diverse range of queer cinema, theatre, and performance arts at various venues across the city, alongside cultural activities and discussions. Event schedules, venues, and screening details are updated annually via their website and social media channels.
CÁDIZ (ANDALUSIA)
SÁFICAS CDZ
🪩 Pop-Up Events
A local community and collective based in the province of Cádiz creating safe spaces and visibility for sapphic, lesbian, and queer women. They organise a variety of regular social gatherings, ranging from afterwork events, karaoke, and parties to poetry workshops, talks, and cultural
FUENGIROLA
FULANITA FESTIVAL
28 – 31 May
📍Fuengirola, Málaga
A music, art, and community festival on the Mediterranean coast.
GIRONA (CATALONIA)
CONNECTING PARTY
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A event series and social community hosting "tardeo" parties (afternoon/early evening gatherings) for women and queer individuals in the Girona province. The collective organises events at various venues across the region, alongside maintaining a local WhatsApp community.
GRANADA
LA SAL QUEER CLUB
📍Calle Santa Paula, 11
Established in 1988, this LGBTQIA+ space functions as both a bar and a nightclub. It hosts gender-neutral dance workshops like salsa and bachata, regular DJ nights, themed parties, and community gatherings around events like Granada Pride.
IBIZA
VELVET IBIZA FESTIVAL
21 – 25 May📍Palm Star hotel in San Antonio
Since 2015, Velvet Ibiza has been Europe's largest queer women's festival, with five days of music, parties, and community on the beach.
MADRID
BBK+
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A community-focused collective based primarily in Madrid, with occasional events in Barcelona (such as in collaboration with @laraposapoblesec). They organise pop-up events and temporary gatherings for women, lesbians, trans, queer, pansexual, and non-binary people. Since their locations vary, the best way to find out about upcoming events is to follow them on social media.
CHESSBIAN
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A social chess event and community for lesbian and bisexual women, as well as the wider FLINTA community. Combining chess with music, drinks, and DJ sets, the pop-up nights offer an interactive alternative to dating apps. They are also established in Barcelona.
FULANITA DE TAL
📍Calle Regueros, 9
Opened around 2002, a classic bar for lesbian, bi, and queer women in Madrid's Chueca neighbourhood. Check their social media for current hours.
GRETA MADRID
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A party concept hosting "tardeo" gatherings (afternoon and early evening parties) for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women in Madrid. Organized by local DJs @edea and @roxelldj. The collective hosts events across various venues in the city.
📚LIBRERIA BERKANA
📍Calle Hortaleza, 62
Founded in 1993, Berkana is the first LGBTQ+ bookstore in Spain and Latin America.
📚MARY READ
📍Marqués de Toca 3
A transfeminist and anarchist bookstore and social centre in Madrid, named after the rebellious female pirate. This non-profit, community-run space hosts workshops, talks, and reading groups, and specialises in radical transfeminist literature.
📚MUJERES & COMPAÑÍA
📍C/ Ercilla 32
A feminist bookstore and cultural meeting place in Madrid, specialising in literature by and about women. They regularly host author talks, writing workshops, reading groups, and cultural events.
🎬 MUESTRA DE CINE LÉS(BI)CO DE MADRID
6–30 April
Founded by Fundación Triángulo, this annual Madrid-based film festival showcases lesbian and bisexual cinema. The event features film screenings, director talks, and community gatherings highlighting queer women's perspectives and experiences.
LAS NUESTRAS
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Las Nuestras is an event-based party collective and pop-up club night in Madrid aimed primarily at lesbians and bisexual women. Rather than operating a permanent venue, they host recurring social club nights and gatherings at various locations across the city.
📚TRAFICANTES DE SUEÑOS
📍C. del Duque de Alba, 13
One of Madrid's leftist bookstores and social centres, located in the Lavapiés neighbourhood. They have books on critical theory, feminism, and ecology, and serve as a meeting point for activists and intellectuals.
🎬 QUEERCINEMAD: MADRID LGBTIAQ+ INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
10 – 26 November
QueerCineMad is an international LGBTQIA+ film festival in Madrid, featuring films, panels, labs, and industry events. It is one of the most important festivals for Spanish-speaking queer cinema.
MAJORCA
ELLA INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN FESTIVAL
27 august – 4 september
A festival that promotes the visibility and empowerment of queer women and non-binary people through art, music, culture, talks, and workshops.
SITGES
Located 40 minutes by train from Barcelona, Sitges is to gay men what Skala Eressos is to lesbians. The coastal town is packed with gay bars, clubs, and restaurants. While predominantly for gay men, all are welcome—though it is likely not your lesbian paradise.
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: Under the rader in Sitges
🎬 ENDIMARIS SITGES
19 – 29 November
An annual LGTBIQ+ film festival.
SITGES SÁFICO
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A local FLINTA community initiative organizing social events and meetups for sapphic women and gender-nonconforming people in Sitges. Details regarding upcoming events and locations are shared via their Instagram account.
TERUEL
CAFÉ CON BOLLOS
A local sapphic network and community collective based in Teruel. The group organizes regular social gatherings, visibility initiatives, and mutual support meetups for lesbians and bisexuals in the region, and serves as the organizing collective behind the annual Lesbípolis festival.
LESBÍPOLIS
24 – 26 April
An annual lesbian culture festival organized by the collective Café con Bollos in Teruel, Spain. Held over a weekend, the gathering combines cultural and community programming across local venues and public spaces. Activities include live performances, comedy, workshops, music, social meetups, and a visibility demonstration through the city streets.
ULTRAMORT (CATALONIA)
LA POSIDÒNIA
📍Carrer de la Creu, 1
A rural feminist cultural space facilitated by the cooperative Lo Relacional, the venue hosts workshops, artistic residencies, cultural gatherings, and community events centered on feminism, sustainability, and social relation. Details on current programming and event schedules are shared via their Instagram account.
LO RELACIONAL
A social cooperative working at the intersection of education, cultural creation, and community development. Based in Ultramort, where they facilitate the rural feminist space La Posidònia. They also host workshops, educational programs, and participatory projects across Catalonia.
🇸🇪SWEDEN
NATIONWIDE
LESBISK MAKT
A nationwide member-led organisation established in November 2013 to document lesbian culture, preserve history, and facilitate community gatherings across Sweden. The organisation supports local member groups that coordinate social activities, cultural events, and public meetings for women, non-binary people, and trans people. Rather than maintaining a permanent public venue, activities take place through regional groups across the country. Check their website for a directory of local branches.
GOTHENBURG
CULT OF DRAG
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A Gothenburg-based collective of drag performers organising queer events, shows, and club nights. Their programming includes regular events such as Sunday Service at Made in Ringön, featuring drag performances, a pub environment, and a dance floor, as well as collaborative stage shows across Sweden.
FLAT MATES GOTHENBURG
🪩 Recurring Event
A regular sapphic bar night taking over Oceanen on the last Thursday of each month. Originating in Stockholm and founded by @justjules.k, the event brings music, DJs, and community gatherings to Gothenburg.
GOTHENBURG QUEER LINDY FESTIVAL
An annual swing dance festival established in 2017 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The festival offers workshops, social dancing, and classes that remove traditional gender roles in couple dancing, allowing participants to learn both leading and following as well as role switching.
GÖTEBORG ROLLER DERBY
Established in 2024 through the merger of Gothenburg Roller Derby and Dock City Rollers, GÖRD is the city's united roller derby league. They offer an inclusive, community-driven sports space for women, trans, and non-binary athletes, running competitive bouts as well as beginner open sessions.
🎬 SAQMI
The Swedish Archive for Queer Moving Images is a Gothenburg-based organisation that documents, preserves, and presents queer moving image culture. Alongside an online digital archive and timeline covering the region’s queer film history, they host public film screenings, artist talks, and collaborative cinema events across various venues.
STATUS QUEER
A Gothenburg-based initiative organising community projects, workshops, and performance events for queer and trans people. Alongside producing stage shows and nightlife events in collaboration with groups like CULT of Drag, they run cultural programming and social spaces across the city.
SWIPE RIGHT
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A Gothenburg-based queer event organizer hosting club nights, parties, and themed gatherings for the LGBTQIA+ community. Their events feature live performances, sapphic and queer guest DJs, dance floors, and themed celebrations. Check their Instagram for upcoming dates.
KRISTINEHAMN
REGNBÅGSCAFÉ KRISTINEHAMN
A non-profit organisation based in Kristinehamn, Värmland (Sweden), providing a social meeting space for LGBTQ+ individuals, family, and allies. They arrange local gatherings, educational sessions, community walks, and collaborative events across various local venues.
MALMÖ
CLUB MERMAID
📍Bergsgatan 29
A Malmö-based drag club and performance night frequently hosted at Inkonst. The events feature stage shows, guest drag performers, theme nights, and dance floors.
QUEER GIRLS MALMÖ
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A community for queer women and non-binary people with a focus on expats. They organize in-person meetups and communicate in English.
HÄNGET
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Hänget is a monthly after-work with local DJs, made for everyone who identifies as lesbian, non-binary, or trans.
MALMÖ ROLLER DERBY - CRIME CITY ROLLERS
📍Kopparbergsgatan 8
Crime City Rollers is Malmö’s top-ranked roller derby league. They are in my guide because they have an inclusive space for women, trans, and non-binary athletes. Check their website for game schedules and tickets.
🎬 MALMÖ QUEER FILM FESTIVAL
17 – 19 APRIL 2026
A safe space for the LGBTQ+ community to meet, discuss, and show solidarity. They show international queer cinema, independent films, and documentaries from underrepresented regions, alongside the "Local Heroes" short film section.
📚PAGE 28
📍Claesgatan 8
Sweden's only LGBTQ bookstore is a non-profit association that serves as a queer cultural meeting place. It promotes LGBTQ+ culture through author talks, readings, and exhibitions. Its mission is to be a sanctuary for the LGBTQ+ community in Malmö and beyond.
RIBERSBORGS KALLBADHUS
📍Brygga 1
This historic cold bath house has been around since 1898. Most days, it features separate sections for men and women. In general, it’s a popular space for Malmö's queer community. On certain dates, it’s a 'Mix Kallis' event, welcoming everyone regardless of gender or identity. Whether you prefer separate or mixed bathing, make sure to check the Ribersborgs Kallbadhus event calendar before visiting so you don't arrive on a date that doesn't suit you. My notes on this place →
STOCKHOLM
BAR REPLIK
📍Hornsgatan 70
Founded in 2004 and operating under new ownership as a queer bar since early 2025. This bar and bistro serves food, cocktails, local beers, and wines. Their event program includes drag shows, DJ nights, quizzes, stand-up comedy, and live performances. Their stated motto is: "Good vibes, great drinks, and a community that embraces everyone. Welcome home."
BATTY
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A queer club and event organiser in Stockholm focused on rhythm, dance, and community gatherings. Batty hosts club nights, dancehall workshops, and dance battles at venues such as Trädgården, as well as daytime wellness events featuring sauna sessions, live music, DJs, and markets at venues like Eden.
🎬 CINEMA QUEER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
28 September – 4 October
It showcases queer films that challenge heteronormative norms. They offer year-round events like school screenings and Pride showings.
DEMI MATBAR
📍Katarina Bangata 21
Demi Matbar is a lesbian-owned restaurant designed to feel like a welcoming living room. It has become a cherished favorite within the community, known for its great atmosphere and occasional events. Follow their Instagram for news and updates.
DYKE MARCH STOCKHOLM
An annual demonstration and community march in Stockholm dedicated to dyke visibility and fighting marginalisation. The march operates as an inclusive demonstration open to lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, trans, non-binary, butch, femme, and questioning dykes.
FLAT MATES STOCKHOLM
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A sapphic club and bar concept founded by @justjules.k. Flat Mates organises regular pop-up bar nights and party events across various venues in Stockholm (such as Lykke Nytorget and Eden), as well as a monthly event in Gothenburg at Oceanen.
GUNN LUNDEMO
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Don't look for a venue named Gunn, it's a person. She's a celebrated DJ known for organising fabulous queer parties. Make sure to follow her online for the latest announcements.
HERA
🪩 Pop-Up Event
They organise sapphic events. Check their Instagram for information.
HOTELLHÄNGET
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Hotellhänget ('The Hotel Hangout') combines two great interests: women who like women and relaxing in hotel bars. Every fifth Friday, they gather at Scandic Malmen, Lilla Hotellbaren. Join their group for details! My notes on this place →
HAUS OF FREAKSHOW
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A Stockholm-based production collective founded by Seymour Bottoms and Jesta Villain, organising performance events and cabarets focused on non-binary, trans, and queer culture. Their programming includes stage productions like Genderfvck Cabaret and The Otherside, frequently collaborating with festivals and local arts venues.
HOUSE OF Q
📍 Malmvägen 1
A queer social and cultural hub in Stockholm. Organised by and for the LGBTQ+ community. The space hosts social gatherings, cultural events, and nightlife. Check their social media for opening hours and upcoming activities.
LENS
📍 Sturegatan 39
A monthly film series and social event held at Bio Bristol in Stockholm, focusing on FLINTA* (Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Non-binary, Trans, Agender) representation on screen. Alongside movie screenings, gatherings regularly include social activities such as film quizzes, speed-friending, and discussions, often organized in collaboration with local LGBTQIA+ organizations.
LILITH CLUB
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A club that "aims to provide an alternative, working-class, edgy and anti-terf nightlife for all women and non-binary people who love women." In addition to their club nights, they host regular pub nights every Friday. Check their social media for upcoming dates and venues.
LLIPS
🪩 Pop-Up Event
It's a treat for electronic music lovers. This event welcomes lesbians and the entire LGBTQIA+ community.
LYCKAN
📍 Hornstulls strand 17
A seasonal outdoor café, restaurant, and bar situated by the water in Tantolunden on Södermalm. Known as a queer-friendly summer gathering spot, Lyckan serves food and drinks alongside occasional daytime events, DJs, and music.
MOXY
🪩 Pop-Up Event
It's the largest lesbian club in Sweden, known for its rotating pop-up parties. Check their social media for the latest news.
MÄLARPAVILJONGEN
A gay-friendly café, bar, and restaurant with a scenic view over Lake Mälaren. It is open during the summer season (typically April–September) and makes for a top choice on a relaxing, sunny day or evening.
STAND UP YOURS
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A feminist and queer comedy club in Stockholm showcasing stand-up, character comedy, and drag king performances. The club provides a dedicated stage for women, non-binary, trans, and LGBTQ+ comedians and performers, regularly appearing at venues like Ö2 Scenkonst and during Stockholm Pride.
TUCK O’HEJ
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A Stockholm-based drag collective founded by Brenda Mandlar and Ceviche de Chocho. They host recurring queer events across various venues in the city, ranging from drag bingo and pub shows to late-night club events featuring pop and dance music.
WISH STOCKHOLM
It's a separatist association that welcomes women, transgender people, non-binary and/or intersexual persons who have an interest in BDSM and fetishism. Check their website for details.
UMEÅ
CLUB BISOUS
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Umeå’s only queer nightclub features drag, burlesque, live shows, and DJ sets. The space includes a runway, photo booth, and full bar. Check their social media for the current address and dates.
🇨🇭SWITZERLAND
NATIONWIDE
MILCHJUGEND
The largest queer youth organisation in Switzerland for lesbian, bisexual, gay, trans, intersex, asexual, and aromantic youth and allies. Operating on a national level, the collective empowers young queer people through youth-led initiatives, publishing its own queer magazine (Milchbüechli), hosting regular bar nights and weekend gatherings, and organising the annual lila. queer festival.
BASEL
🎬 LUST*STREIFEN FILM FESTIVAL
8 – 11 October
The festival focuses on queerness, gender, sexuality, and body politics. Along with films, the program includes artist talks, workshops, concerts, performances, and panel discussions.
BERN
🎬 QUEERSICHT LGBTIAQ-FILMFESTIVAL*
5 – 11 November
An international queer film festival presenting independent films, documentaries, and shorts that challenge traditional gender and sexual norms.
FRAUENFELD
🎬 PINK APPLE FILM FESTIVAL
7 – 9 May 2027
A regional edition held right after the Zürich event, bringing a curated selection of international queer films and documentaries to Frauenfeld.
GENEVA
🎬 EVERYBODY'S PERFECT
An annual international queer film festival established in 2010 in Geneva. Held over ten days in October, the festival screens global LGBTQ+ cinema alongside panel discussions, workshops, exhibitions, and musical performances.
SAPPHICS IN GENEVA
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A community initiative providing a safe and inclusive social space for queer women, lesbians, and FLINTA individuals (including trans and non-binary people). The group organises recurring meetups, social gatherings, dedicated art evenings for sapphic people of colour, and outdoor activities across the city.
LUZERN
🎬 PINK PANORAMA FILMFESTIVAL
18 – 21 November
Established in 2002, this queer film festival screens features, documentaries, and shorts.
MÄNNEDORF
KINO WILDENMANN
📍Dorfgasse 42
A historic cinema on the shore of Lake Zurich known for hosting Queer & Friends (Q&F),
a recurring LGBTQ+ film series. Alongside mainstream and arthouse releases, the venue screens queer cinema accompanied by director talks, discussions, and community gatherings.
ZÜRICH
DAS GLEIS
📍Zollstrasse 121
A cultural café, bar, and event venue located in the Zollhaus complex in Zürich. The space hosts concerts, readings, workshops, and community events, operating with an explicit awareness concept and regular programming in collaboration with local queer and FLINTA initiatives.
KONLIKI
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A queer nightlife collective and pop-up party series based in Zürich. Active for nearly a decade and explicitly open to all genders, the initiative organises regular club nights and DJ events across local music venues, focusing on an inclusive, community-driven dancefloor atmosphere.
LILA. QUEER FESTIVAL
📍Seestrasse 395
An annual non-profit queer-feminist festival organized by the Swiss youth organization Milchjugend, held at the cultural center Rote Fabrik in Zürich. Running every September, the festival showcases queer art, performances, live music, drag shows, readings, and workshops designed to celebrate diversity and foster community connection.
🎬 PINK APPLE FILM FESTIVAL
27 April – 6 May 2027
Switzerland's largest LGBTQ+ film festival. The main edition screens international features, documentaries, and shorts, alongside talks, a competition, and an annual award ceremony.
TANZLEILA
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A long-running FLINTA-only party collective and nightlife event based in Zürich. It features pop sets from local DJs and creates an inclusive dance space exclusively for women, lesbian, inter, non-binary, trans, and agender guests.
🇹🇷 TURKEY
ISTANBUL
ANKARA
🎬 PINK LIFE QUEERFEST, TURKEY
January, Annual
Turkey's first queer festival, founded in 2011 by the Pink Life LGBTI+ Solidarity Association. It screens international and Turkish LGBTQI+ films alongside discussions, literature, music, video art, and theater.
🇺🇦UKRAINE
KYIV
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: Kyiv Pride: An Unexpected Sign of Hope
In May 2024, I learned the extraordinary news that Kyiv Pride was arranging a Pride March in June. I lacked the imagination to grasp that the fight continues even when a country is subjected to a full-scale Russian invasion. I wanted to know more, so I interviewed Kyiv Pride's Program Manager, Yuliia Shypitko. Before we ended our conversation, she told me about how people meet up. She described various clubs, most of them large factory halls filled with techno music. The following names were given to me by Yuliia. Life never ceases to amaze me. I know this says more about me than about Kyiv's nightlife. I wish for peace in Ukraine.
CLOSER
📍31 Nyzhnoiurkivska Street
An inclusive, queer-friendly space in Kyiv's underground scene that hosts art exhibitions, lectures, and techno parties. Its progressive ethos makes it welcoming for the LGBTQ+ community.
COLLIDER
📍Kyrylivska 60
A rave club and cultural space for underground art, music, and workshops. Since the full-scale invasion, it has also supported the war effort by organising volunteer networks and logistical help. The space includes music studios, an exhibition area, and co-working facilities.
INSIGHT
A Ukrainian public organisation in Kyiv providing a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies. Committed to feminism and inclusivity, Insight offers lectures, discussions, workshops, and poetry evenings, alongside psychological support. Check their social media for upcoming events.
KELLER
📍Kyrylivska 71
Located in Kyiv's Podil industrial district, Keller is a queer-friendly bar and nightclub housed in a former foundry. Known for its electronic music scene, it has an indoor bar and a large outdoor terrace for DJ sets ranging from house to techno.
KYRYLIBSK41 (OR MORE KNOWN AS) K41
📍Kyrylivska 41
∄ (pronounced "Kyrylivska 41"), located in a former brewery in Podil, is Kyiv's only dedicated queer club. Renowned for its techno scene and activism, it enforces a strict no-photo policy. The name—a mathematical symbol meaning "does not exist"—reflects its focus on in-person experiences. Since the full-scale invasion, the venue has run the K41 Community Fund to provide financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine's cultural sector. It also serves as a space for LGBTQ+ military members and veterans, hosting queer events during the ongoing conflict.
REYVAKH COLLECTIVE
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A queer/FLINTA rave and performance series that originated in Kyiv. The events blend techno music with performance art to support the community. Reyvakh also hosts events in other cities, including London, connecting the Ukrainian queer scene internationally. Check their social media for updates and locations.
🎬 SUNNY BUNNY: UKRAINIAN LGBTQIA+ FILM FESTIVAL
17 – 24 April
Ukraine's first LGBTQIA+ film festival. It screens international features, documentaries, shorts, and queer classics, focusing on both global and Ukrainian queer cinema.
🇬🇧UNITED KINGDOM
LONDON LESBIAN CALENDAR
Community Guide
A community-run platform curating weekly events across London by and for dykes, lesbians, and queer women. Regularly shares roundups of local nightlife, social meetups, cultural events, and activities across the city via social media. Check their account for weekly listings.
UK-WIDE
BFF LESBIAN SOCIAL CLUB
🪩 Pop-Up Events & Retreats
A UK-wide community organisation focused on fostering friendships and social connections among lesbians and queer women. The initiative hosts seasonal retreats, outdoor weekend gatherings, pop-up meetups, and an online network for community members across the country.
ABERGAVENNY (WALES)
KINDOM FESTIVAL
15 – 17 May
📍Three Pools Farm
A festival for women, non-binary, and trans people held on an organic farm. The event focuses on community building, political organizing, and physical wellbeing, offering a mix of educational workshops, movement and wellness sessions, communal dining, and evening music and entertainment.
BELFAST
BELFAST SAPPHICS
A community-led society for sapphics and FLINTA people organizing social events, activist campaigns, and educational workshops across Belfast. Their regular programming includes a bi-monthly sapphic film club, social mixers, and political marching contingents.
🎬OUTBURST QUEER ARTS FESTIVAL, NORTHERN IRELAND
13 – 21 November
An annual multi-disciplinary queer arts festival in Belfast. The programme spans film screenings, theatre, visual arts, music, literature, and panel discussions exploring contemporary themes around sexuality and gender.
BIRMINGHAM
GAYGLOW
📍Gooch Street 138
A recurring, women-only disco for the LGBTQ+ community, hosted at Eden Bar, an established venue in Birmingham’s Gay Village. Check their social media for upcoming dates and times.
LESBIAN RUN CLUB BRUM
A regular sapphic running and social group for women, non-binary, trans, and QTPOC community members. Organizes both an easy-paced 5k run and a walking group through the city, followed by drinks at a local pub. Focuses on movement, inclusivity, and community building. Check their Instagram for current meetup schedules.
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A collective hosting lesbian-focused and FLINTA socials and club nights across the West Midlands. Programming includes themed parties, seasonal discos, daytime events, live DJs, and performances aimed at creating community-driven sapphic spaces. Check their Instagram and ticket link for upcoming event dates and venues.
BRIGHTON
BOTTOM'S REST
📍 16 Lower Market Street
A queer community pub known for local beers, Brighton gin, and popular Sunday roasts. The space regularly hosts community events like tote bag printing workshops, pop-up kitchens, and seasonal get-togethers. Check their Instagram for upcoming activities.
CROSSBAR
📍 Upper North Street 22–23
A women’s sports bar and café screening major televised sporting events with a focus on women’s sport. The venue also offers space for local sports teams and club meetings.
RUN LIKE A DYKE
🏃♀️ Sport
A run club and social gathering in Brighton welcoming all dykes, queers, and trans runners, from beginners to experienced athletes. Meeting on select evenings, routes conveniently start and finish at the queer community pub Bottom's Rest, followed by casual drinks and hangouts. Alongside regular running sessions with bag drops available, they also organize social sports activities like casual beach volleyball. Check their Instagram for more information.
BRISTOL
SOFT BUTCH
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A club night celebrating "butchness," designed for women, non-binary, and trans people. The concept is "somatics-infused," combining dancing with body awareness and somatic exercises, such as guided dancefloor meditations. The nights feature dance floors with DJ sets, live acts, and performance art like cabaret.
🎬 QUEER VISION FILM FESTIVAL
27 June – 12 July
An annual festival held during Bristol Pride that screens LGBTQ+ cinema. The festival shows international features, shorts, and performance events, and is an official partner for the Iris Prize Best British Short competition through its South West Shorts program.
CARDIFF (WALES)
🎬 IRIS PRIZE LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL
12 – 18 October
A celebration of LGBTQ+ storytelling with short and feature films, talks, and events. At the heart of the festival is the £40,000 Iris Prize—the largest short film prize in the world—where the winner gets to create their next short film in Cardiff.
DEVON
THE OUT & WILD FESTIVAL
3 – 6 July
The UK's biggest wellness and experience festival for queer women and non-binary people. Offers dozens of live music acts, comedy, spoken word, and workshops focused on wellness and sport. Ticketed event with options for day passes, weekend tickets, and camping/glamping.
GLASGOW (SCOTLAND)
GLASGOW LEATHERDYKES
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A trans-led pub night and social for leatherdykes, welcoming newcomers and the leather-curious. Check their social media for upcoming dates and locations.
📚 GLASGOW WOMEN'S LIBRARY
📍23 Landressy Street
The only museum in the UK dedicated to women's lives, histories, and achievements. Alongside a lending library, it holds an extensive archive of historical materials, including Suffragette memorabilia, feminist publications, and LGBTQ+ history. It serves as a community space hosting over 200 events a year, from exhibitions and film screenings to guided walks and workshops.
G.Y.A (GRIND YER AXE)
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A queer club night focused on lesbians, queer women, non-binary, and trans people. Check their social media for upcoming dates and locations.
🎬 SCOTTISH QUEER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
19 – 24 October
Scotland's only dedicated queer film festival and a BAFTA-qualifying event. Focusing on diverse international cinema alongside year-round pop-up events and workshops to lift queer voices. Accessibility is a big focus, with BSL interpretation, audio description, and sliding-scale tickets.
HAY-ON-WYE (WALES)
📚 GAY ON WYE
📍 2 Lion Street
Independent LGBTQ+ bookshop founded in August 2023 by Thomas Owen. The shop stocks LGBTQ+ literature and non-fiction, alongside hosting author readings, book clubs, panel discussions, and workshops.
HINCKLEY
ELECTRIC CHAPEL
📍 10 Waterloo Road
An LGBTQ+ bar hosting drag shows, cabaret, DJ nights, and Hinckley Pride events. Check their social media for upcoming events.
HEBDEN BRIDGE
I stayed in Hebden Bridge for three weeks visiting the future. I could not think of a better final destination on my Lesbian Tour Europe. I had come to the end of the world: the lesbian capital of the UK. I felt like a super excited Swedish Columbus discovering a new continent. I went in October, wanting realism and rain. I am not going to lie: my gut method did not work. I am the queen of conversations with strangers. In Hebden Bridge, I had to abdicate brutally. I write about it in "Not a Big Thing in Hebden Bridge."
When it comes to my guide, there are almost no exclusively lesbian spaces. In fact, no one makes a fuss about being a lesbian; you just go anywhere. Being queer is so normalized here that it has almost become invisible, in fact, a lot of the people I talked to had no idea they were living in the lesbian capital. I have, however, pinned down a few specific places.
May I recommend walks on the moors (that’s pretty lesbian). The power and silence of the moors was one of the best parts of the trip. While visiting the area, take time to swim in the rich feminist history all within a few miles: the home of the Brontë sisters, Sylvia Plath's grave, the homes of Elizabeth Gaskell, the Pankhurst family, and Anne Lister, to name a few. It’s mesmerizing.
🦩 THE PINK ROAD STORY: Not a Big Thing in Hebden Bridge
NELSONS WINE BAR
📍Crown Street
A plant-based wine bar and restaurant for the LGBTQI+ community and allies. Located in the basement of the old Co-op building, it serves wine and plant-based Indian tapas. Dog friendly.
TODMORDEN WOMEN’S DISCO
📍Todmorden Cricket Club, Burnley Road
A long-running party for women and FLINTA individuals, held at Todmorden Cricket Club just outside Hebden Bridge. Events take place on selected dates throughout the year. Get more info on their Facebook page.
THE TRADES CLUB
📍Holme Street
A member-owned cooperative club, live music venue, and queer-friendly social space. It hosts concerts, daytime and evening club nights, community fundraisers, and political events.
LEEDS
DIRT DYKES
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A collective running club nights, gigs, cabaret shows, and pop-up bars for dykes across Leeds. Check their social media for upcoming dates and locations.
🎬 LEEDS QUEER FILM FESTIVAL
A non-profit, volunteer-run DIY festival by and for the LGBTQ+ community. The event screens independent queer cinema with a focus on underground and underrepresented voices. Note: The festival is currently on a hiatus and plans to return in 2027 or 2028.
LIVERPOOL
DYKEOLOGY
🪩 Pop-Up Event
An alternative dyke night hosting club and social events in Liverpool. Check their social media for upcoming dates and locations.
HOMOTOPIA FESTIVAL
Check their social media for dates
The UK’s longest-running queer arts and culture festival, combining art and activism. Based in Liverpool, it brings together LGBTQIA+ cinema, theatre, performance, and public art, sharing powerful stories from queer artists from all over the world.
LAVENDER NIGHTS
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A recurring social night and party for lesbian and queer people in Liverpool. Check their social media for upcoming dates and locations.
THE SWITCH ARMS
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A monthly lesbian pub night hosted across Liverpool by Switch North. Check their social media for upcoming dates and locations.
LONDON
🎬BFI FLARE: LONDON LGBTQIA+ FILM FESTIVAL, UK
18 – 29 March
Formerly the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, this is Europe's largest LGBTQ+ film festival. Held every spring, it began in 1986 showing LGBTQ+ films as "Gay's Own Pictures" before being renamed in 1988. It has a selection of lesbian features, documentaries, and shorts.
BISHOPSGATE INSTITUTE
📍230 Bishopsgate
It was established in 1895 and is home to one of the UK’s richest archives of LGBTQ+ and feminist history, documenting real people's stories and grassroots heritage. It is an open, space hosting talks, courses, exhibitions, and community events.
BUTCH, PLEASE!
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Founded in 2015 by artist and DJ Tabs, this party was named "London's coolest lesbian club night" by the Evening Standard. It celebrates butch, dyke, and masculine-presenting queer women and trans/non-binary folk. Expect DJ sets, live performance art, and packed dance floors across London.
LA CAMIONERA
📍243 Well Street, E9 6RG
A lesbian bar, cafe, and bottle shop created for queer women, trans folk, and non-binary people. It operates as a daytime cafe offering wine, drinks, non-alcoholic options, and a work-friendly space before transforming into an evening bar with singles nights, garden parties, special community events, and DJ sets on weekends. The front of the venue is wheelchair accessible.
📚 THE COMMON PRESS
📍118 Bethnal Green Rd
It is an intersectional queer bookshop cafe bar and events space based in East London. It focuses on feminist theory lesbian and queer literature trans issues and works by QTIBPOC authors. It serves as a community space with a café, bar and a regular calendar of book launches, workshops and live events.
THE DIVINE
📍33 Stoke Newington Rd, N16 8BJ
An LGBTQIA+ bar, basement club, and live performance venue created by the team behind The Glory. Welcoming to the entire queer community with strong representation for women, trans, and non-binary performers. It has events like Europe’s drag battle LIPSYNC1000, alongside drag king shows, cabaret, and weekend DJ sets.
FLIRRRT
🪩 Pop-Up Event
A recurring club night and dance party in London for women, non-binary, and trans people. The event travels between different venues across the city, featuring sets by resident and guest DJs. Check their social media for upcoming events.
🎬 FRINGE! QUEER FILM & ARTS FEST
12 – 20 September
A volunteer-run festival rooted in London's queer creative scene. The event shows a mix of international feature films, DIY and experimental work, art installations, workshops, and debates across East London.
📚 GAY'S THE WORD
📍66 Marchmont St
It was established in 1979 by a group of gay socialists, and is the UK's oldest LGBTQ+ bookshop. It offers an extensive collection of queer literature, ranging from fiction and poetry to history, biographies, queer studies, and graphic novels, alongside badges, tees, and posters. It serves as a cultural sanctuary and regular gathering space for author events and discussion groups.
📚 HOUSMANS BOOKSHOP
📍5 Caledonian Rd
Founded in 1945 it has been based in King's Cross since 1959. It is a legendary radical indie bookshop and non-profit space with a focus on LGBTQIA+, feminism, pacifism, Black history, and environmental literature. It offers a massive selection of progressive books, independent zines, and political publications. It regularly hosts author talks, activist meetings, and is a co-organizer of the London Radical Bookfair.
THE LESBIAN DISCUSSION GROUP (LDG)
📍66 Marchmont Street
The Lesbian Discussion Group has been running for over 40 years at the iconic bookshop Gay's The Word in London. It is a space for all women who want to debate or listen to discussions about current affairs, sexuality, politics, lifestyle, and lesbian-specific topics. Active participation is encouraged, but there is never any pressure to speak. Alongside weekly meetings, the volunteer facilitators also organize socials such as park picnics, sports matches, club outings, and speed dating.
LESBIAN ISLAND
🪩 Pop-up Event
A queer woman-powered event collective offering London's most frequent and varied gatherings for WLW. Regular programming includes speed dating sessions across different age groups, monthly pub quizzes, parties, and social meetups. Check their Instagram and bio link for upcoming dates and venues.
LICK
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Created under the ethos "It’s not for men", LICK is one of the biggest club nights exclusively for women and non-binary people in London. Founded by Teddy Edwardes, it takes over major venues across the city with resident DJs, packed dance floors, and live performances. They also run a dedicated solo-attendee network (LICK & Clique) for anyone heading to parties on their own. Check their social media for next event.
THE OLD NUN’S HEAD
📍 15 Nunhead Green
Community-focused queer pub in south-east London housed in a historic building. The venue regularly hosts LGBTQ+ events including drag shows, cabaret, quiz nights, and live DJs, serving a rotating drinks menu alongside pop-up food kitchens and Sunday roasts.
PXSSY PALACE
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Founded in 2015, PXSSY PALACE is an established club night and collective creating nightlife spaces that center women, trans, and non-binary people, with a focus on QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour). It is famous for its electric dance floors and sounds spanning global club, hip hop, and electronic beats. Check their social media for upcoming dates.
RUBY TUESDAY KLUB
📍30 Lisle Street
A weekly Tuesday night party run by the team behind SHE Soho, taking over Klub (underneath Ku Bar near Leicester Square). It is a dedicated late-night space for queer women, non-binary, and trans folk, featuring resident DJs from SHE Soho, dance floors, and live burlesque performances throughout the night.
SAPPHIC SOCIALS
🪩 Pop-Up Events
A London-based social community founded after the Covid lockdowns, creating spaces for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women to connect. Focused on social friendship rather than dating, the group hosts a wide mix of pop-up activities across the city, including dinners, walks, theatre trips, outdoor sports, and parties. Coordination and event sign-ups are managed through Meetup and WhatsApp. Check their social media for upcoming events.
SAPPHOES
🪩 Pop-Up Events
A community organisation running pop-up events for lesbians, sapphics, and trans people, with a focus on femme socials and themed parties. Check their social media for upcoming events.
SHE SOHO
📍23A Old Compton Street
A famous dedicated basement bar and club for queer women, non-binary, and trans folk. Located in the heart of Soho, it operates as a lounge bar earlier in the evening before turning into a venue with DJs, live burlesque, drag king performances, cabaret, karaoke, and sports screenings.
NEWCASTLE
RUSH LESBIANS
🪩 Pop-Up Event
An event and party collective created by lesbians, for lesbians, taking over venues across Newcastle’s nightlife scene. Check their social media for upcoming dates and locations.
NORWICH
SAPPHIC NORFOLK
🪩 Pop-Up Events
A community group dedicated to the local sapphic and FLINTA* scene across Norfolk, centering dykes while remaining welcoming to all women, non-binary, and trans people. They host regular social gatherings, often based around Norwich pubs, along with active outdoor meetups like community sports days and casual hangouts. Check their Instagram for the latest information.
OBAN (SCOTLAND)
OBAN LESBIAN+ WEEKEND
3 – 7 September
Ninety miles west of Glasgow, think a marriage between a coastal holiday and a queer mini-festival. The program promises wild swimming, paddleboarding, and island cruises alongside workshops on topics like ADHD and vanlife. The entertainment consists of live music, comedy, and a traditional Scottish ceilidh dance exclusively for LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people.
OXFORD
LOVE
📍Paradise Street 20
A monthly social night focused on lesbians, queer women, and sapphics, hosted at Oxford’s LGBTQ+ pub, The Jolly Farmers. Operating on a free-entry basis, the event features a trans-positive, non-exclusive atmosphere with music, social activities such as speed-connecting sessions, and pizza.
MANCHESTER
QUEER MANCHESTER
🪩 Pop-Up Event
Community organisation hosting inclusive social events across Manchester for queer women and non-binary people. Founded by friends Hol and Morgs, the initiative focuses on building connections through events ranging from singles and dating nights to club nights and social gatherings.
📚 QUEER LIT
📍27 Great Ancoats Street
Independent bookstore in Manchester hosting the largest selection of LGBTQ+ titles in Europe, alongside a community cafe area, pride accessories, and merchandise.
VANILLA
📍50 Sackville Street
Since 1998, Vanilla has been the heart of Manchester's lesbian and queer FLINTA scene. This award-winning club & bar has spent over two decades delivering a safe, loud, and welcoming sanctuary.
SCUNTHORPE (YORKSHIRE)
OUT OUT FESTIVAL
📍 Thorpe Meadows, Carr Lane, Crowle, Scunthorpe
13 – 15 August 2027
Founded by two lesbian couples seeking to build a safe, community-focused space and bridge generational gaps among LGBTQ+ women. Features live music, DJ sets, activities, camping, and glamping. Check their social media for tickets and updates.
SHREWSBURY
LEZBE MINDFUL WELLNESS WEEKENDER
2 – 5 October
📍 Stanford Farm
A four-day wellness retreat and mini-festival organised by LezBe Mindful for lesbian, bisexual, trans, and non-binary people. Hosted at Stanford Farm near Shrewsbury, the program features yoga, meditation, sound healing, breathwork, and fitness classes, alongside DJ sets, acoustic sessions, and outdoor spa facilities.
More Features
EUROPE Here are the Lesbians! From south to north, east to west. This is The Deluxe Queer Guide of essential sapphic life: film, music, art, bars, bookshops, clubs and festivals.