london pride Archives

London festivals June and July 2019

Published on 23 June 2019

London festivals June and July 2019

London is a hub of dynamic fun, thrill and adventure providing immense pleasure when it comes to festivals. To experience some of the best events this season come out and book yourself a visit to London this June and July. Get engaged and select from a list of London festivals happening in June and July 2019 this season. Here we discuss the top 4 must-see festivals for the month of June and July.

A) Icons Festival – The most ravishing music festival is to showcase back-to-back heart throbbing shows of six top bands of London in a line-up. The event to be held on 27th July at The Thames is going to be a tribute to the music icons of the past 40 years. It is a must-see festival for the month of June and July for all passionate music lovers. This will surely be a soul-satisfying musical treat to yourself as one by one top 6 artists give a breathtaking performance individually. Also available are the stalls of food and drink at the event venue. To know more about the festival click here: https://www.iconsfestival.co.uk

Icon Festival 2019

B) Swing with Silver Ghost – Having marked their lively presence at some of the renowned jazz venues and swing dance club nights of London, Silver Ghost is a seven-piece ensemble band. Swing with Silver Ghost is the London festivals in June and July 2019 going to take place on 15th of this June at secret London, The Candlelight Club. Silver Ghost is surely going to stir up the guests and instil them to tap their feet on some of the best gigs from the 1920s and 30s. The swinging will be accompanied with a cocktail, Champagne Charlie and much more. To know more about the Swing with Silver ghost ticket and venue details here: http://silverghosts.co.uk

swing with silver ghost june July 2019 — Swing with Silver Ghost June – July 2019

C) Pride in London Parade – The must see festivals for the month of June and July includes a unique festival of Pride in London Parade for holiday planners around the world. The month-long festival begins on 8th June and going to end on 6th of July 2019. The much interesting festival includes the parade throughout the streets of London showcasing LGBT and the community celebrating together. The event gives the opportunity to enjoy the vibrant parade along with lots of dancing and singing. This is amongst the eye-catching events in London festivals June and July 2019.

D) Greenwich Docklands International Festival – The London festivals in June and July 2019 have immense to offer, explore and experience when it comes to festivals. GDIF is one such event that brings together the outdoor theatre and performances of artists from around the corner of the world. GDIF includes over 130 performances and 15 UK premieres which can be a true worth your visit to this festival. GDIF is also a must-see festival for the month of June and July starting from 21st June to 6th July 2019. To know more about the festival and book your tickets click here: https://www.ornc.org/Event/greenwich-docklands-international-festival-2019#Ovy5R6ghu2gYX0Pr.97

Greenwich Docklands International Festival 2019

LGBTQ Culture in London: All you need to know

Published on 20 October 2016

Attraction/Entertainment/Night Life

London is one of the foremost LGBTQ tourist destinations in Europe. Homosexuality was decriminalised in the United Kingdom in 1967, but London was an LGBTQ hub even before that. There is a lot to see and do in the city for both locals and tourists. Here’s a complete low down on the LGBTQ culture in London.

Wine and Dine for the LGBTQ community

Soho, in Central London, is the centre of the city’s LGBTQ community. Here you’ll find the best gay and lesbian clubs, live entertainment shows, and sex shops. Bordered by Oxford Street, Regent Street, Charing Cross Road, and Leicester Square, the area covers about 2.6 square kilometres and can be explored on foot. G-A-Y Bar on Old Compton Street regularly hosts live music and DJ nights and stays open until the wee hours. Freedom is another popular bar and club in Central Soho, with over 200 mirror balls and several dance poles for the live events held downstairs, and a chic bar upstairs. She Soho is unique in that it’s primarily a lady’s bar, though men are welcome to accompany female patrons. Heaven, just off Trafalgar Square in Central London, is also one of the largest gay clubs in Europe.

London has a vibrant LGBTQ nightlife (Source)

The range of LGBTQ bars and clubs in London doesn’t just end in Soho. Dalston Superstore in East London is an artsy cafe by day and a pulsing club by night. Fire, in Vauxhall, South London, is an industrial-style club with a killer sound system, laser light shows and some of the best DJs in town. Nearby is also The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, the oldest surviving LGBTQ club in South London.

Films and Theatre for the LGBTQ community

Enjoy Musicals at the Above The Stag Theatre, London — Enjoy Musicals at Above The Stag Theatre, London (Source)

The London LGBT Film Festival, BFI Flare, is the biggest LGBT film festival in Europe. It began in 1986 as a season of LGBT films for two years at the National Film Theatre. In 1988, it was renamed the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and later changed to BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival. It takes place every spring in BFI Southbank, London. What makes London even more unique is the Above the Stag Theatre in Vauxhall, the only LGBT-centric theatre in the entire UK.

Pride in London

Pride in London is an annual LGBT pride parade and festival held every summer in London. A long-running tradition, it attracts thousands of LGBTQ visitors and their friends, family, and supporters to the city. Barclays Bank is the headline sponsor for the march, and it garners support from the Mayor of London as well.

For LGBTQ Bibliophiles

Gay’s The Word is the only bookstore in the UK to cater specifically to the LGBTQ community. Located in Bloomsbury, London, the store was founded in 1979 by people from a socialist group called Gay Icebreakers. Its genesis drew inspiration from the growth of lesbian and gay bookstores in the US. The independent bookstore has ample patronage across communities today.

The only gay and lesbian bookstore in the UK. — The only gay and lesbian bookstore in the UK (Source)

Social Groups for and by the LGBTQ community

There is an array of support groups for and by the LGBTQ community in London. Centred is one such community organisation that lends the LGBTQ culture in London a unique character. Their major activities include publishing, networking, community events, volunteering, community infrastructure, and LGBTQ history and heritage activities. Another such organisation exclusively for lesbian, bisexual and transgender women professionals is the Gay Women’s Network. They work towards giving LGBT women access to career development and networking opportunities in an inclusive space and supporting positive change for LGBT women in the workplace. Women from all sectors, levels, industries, and walks of life are welcomed into the network.

Village Drinks is a well-known social networking community for gay professionals in London, with events in Bristol, Brighton and Manchester as well. Their social events are immensely popular and well-attended, and what’s more, their membership is free.

There is a vibrant community of LGBTQ individuals and their supporters in the English Capital. Plan a trip to explore the LGBTQ culture in London on your own, and I promise you will go home a richer person.