Where To Celebrate London Pride This Weekend
Archer Street
From 12pm until late on the day of the Pride Parade, Soho cocktail bar Archer Street will host a glittering, colourful street party in celebration of LGBT rights. Drag acts Margo Marshall, Orla Board and The Glamorous Mercedes will be performing live to get Pride-goers in the party spirit, ramping up the crowds and singing hits from Frankie Vali, Take That, Boyzone and everyone’s favourite musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
3-4 Archer Street, Soho, W1D 7AP; 7th July
Visit ArcherStreet.co.uk
For the full line-up and times of the official Pride in London Parade on 7th July, visit Facebook.com
Ballie Ballerson Pride Party
As Pride kicks off across the capital, adults-only giant ball pit Ballie Ballerson will be celebrating with rainbow flags and a special rainbow cocktail for the evening. As per usual, the venue’s multi-coloured lights will be glowing, DJs will be pumping out a variety of deep house and disco, and bartenders will be serving up a range of theatrical drinks. Ballie Ballerson is also bringing its London Pride float back for a second year, boasting the same Funktion One onboard sound system and DJ Dave Bowler, straight from Amnesia, Ibiza. Expect funk, soul and dance classics along with military strength rainbow smoke bombs.
97-113 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, EC2A 3BS; 7th July; tickets from £11.20
Visit EventBrite.co.uk
Blade Hairclubbing
Soho salon Blade Hairclubbing is nodding to Pride both through the styling team and through a special offering from the resident mixology wizard Stroo Despot-Olofsson. Revellers will be able to enjoy the ‘Rainbow Maker’ cocktail – a multi-coloured flight of top-shelf liqueurs with a craft lager chaser – while those looking to up the ante style-wise can then go for a Pride Glitz; Blade's top stylists will make sure that guests are Pride-ready by applying glitter to your roots, hairline or parting, ensuring you’re sprinkled with sparkle and full of rainbow spirit.
26 Frith Street, Soho, W1D 5LD; ‘Rainbow Maker’ cocktail and Pride Glitz service available until 8th July
Visit BladeSoho.co.uk
Cantina Laredo
Modern Mexican restaurant Cantina Laredo will be serving up a special technicolour dish, Rainbow Dough Churros, to celebrate London Pride. For the uninitiated, the eatery is one of the top Mexican spots in London, with an informal sharing menu that takes diners on an unforgettable journey through the country’s diverse regional cuisines. Celebrating all things multicoloured, Cantina Laredo will be proudly flying the flag, serving their sweet rainbow treats to add some extra sparkle to their menu.
10 Upper St Martin’s Lane, Covent Garden, WC2H 9FB; Rainbow Dough Churros served on 7th July
Visit CantinaLaredo.co.uk
Rainbow Pride Festival at Chotto Matte
To celebrate London Pride, Chotto Matte – the Peruvian-Japanese restaurant located in the heart Soho – is throwing a free Rainbow Pride Festival filled with iconic music, multi-coloured cocktails and the launch of their new ‘rainbow menu’. From midday for one hour, guests will be served free multi-coloured dishes and drinks on the house, including a colourful collection of Sailor Jerry Rum cocktails, sushi rolls, dragon rolls, yellowtail gyoza and mochi balls. A percentage of the proceeds will also be donated to the LGBTQ charity, London Friend.
11-13 Frith Street, Soho, W1D 4RB; Rainbow Pride Festival 7th July, rainbow menu available throughout July
Visit Chotto-Matte.com
The Ivy Soho Brasserie
In celebration of this year’s Pride in London, the team at The Ivy Soho Brasserie have created a selection of specials for guests to enjoy, including the colourful ‘Strawberry Pride Melting Dome’ dessert; and a refreshing gin-based cocktail, the ‘Pride of Soho’, featuring grapefruit juice, Crème de Rose and Hibiscus syrup, all served in a glittering golden coupe. On Saturday 7th July, the venue will also hold a fabulous brunch, hosted by some of London’s most loved drag queens, with a menu featuring sumptuous dishes such as eggs benedict with pulled honey roast ham and a warm truffle chicken sandwich. Finally, the brasserie’s al fresco terrace will don an eye-catching installation featuring an abundance of colourful blooms, as well as balloons and butterflies.
26-28 Broadwick Street, Soho, W1F 8JB; Pride brunch on 7th July; Pride specials available until 8th July
Visit TheIvySohoBrasserie.com
Nine Lives Pride Street Party
Hosted by London Bridge bar Nine Lives and the legendary Taylor Trash from The Glory. This fabulous affair will mark the launch of ‘Ode’, an incredible new piece of artwork on Holyrood Street, produced by LGBTQ artists Trinity Tristan and Tim Whiting, while also celebrating Nine Lives’ first birthday with ‘Topicalifornication’ cocktails. With house DJs, the ultimate big-prize vogue-offs and a drag queen pageant, this is the place to celebrate into the wee hours.
8 Holyrood Street, London Bridge, SE1 2EL; 7th July
Visit NineLivesBar.com
The Blind Pig
Celebrate Pride this year at Jason Atherton’s flagship bar, The Blind Pig, with their rainbow coloured ‘5-a-Day’ cocktail. The colourful drink designed by The Social Company’s Group Bar Manager, Jay Doy, features ice cubes made from the five fruits (apple, strawberry, pear, orange and plum), with an added dash of Patron tequila, lime cordial and Sekforde’s botanical tequila mixer. Located in the heart of Soho above Atherton’s Social Eating House restaurant, it’s the perfect spot to watch the parade.
58 Poland Street, Soho, W1F 7NR; ‘5-a-Day’ cocktail priced £11
Visit SocialEatingHouse.com
W London Leicester Square
Standing proud and shouting loud in support of the LGBTQ+ community, W London is inviting revellers to ‘Be who you are, wherever you are’ at its series of bold, all-inclusive events. Held in collaboration with its media partners Gay Times, there’ll be an official W London float in the Pride Parade; an empowering panel talk entitled ‘Queer Me Out’, featuring some of the most outspoken and outstanding members of the LGBTQ+ community; the Glitterbox Pride Party, bringing the most coveted DJ line-up in town to the hotel’s Perception Bar; a limited-edition colour-changing cocktail, the ‘Miss Vanjie’; and a post-Pride bottomless brunch to keep the party going the next day.
10 Wardour Street, Leicester Square, W1D 6QF; Queer Me Out 6th July, Glitterbox Pride Party 7th July, Pride Brunch 8th July; ‘Miss Vanjie’ cocktail available until 15th July
Visit WLondon.co.uk
The Karaoke Hole
Dalston dive bar The Karaoke Hole will celebrate Pride the only way they know how – with singing, sashaying and sequins aplenty. Across the Pride weekend, resident divas and drag stars will host a jam-packed line-up of events and karaoke one-offs including a Gay Icon-athon, celebrating gay pop legends, Queer Karaoke Speed Dating for singletons, and a Female Trouble Lesbian Pride drag king special. Oh, and you can’t possibly pay a visit without trying one of their signature ‘Wet Pussy’ shots.
95 Kingsland High Street, Dalston, E8 2PB; Queer Karaoke Speed Dating 5th July, Gay Icon-athon 6th July, Female Trouble Lesbian Pride 7th July
Visit TheKaraokeHole.com
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