From very humble beginnings, and after relocating three times, The Nightingale has now grown into one of the UK’s most popular gay superclubs, with bus-loads of LGBT revellers and their friends flocking to the club from all corners of the Midlands for monthly programmes and more.
When it comes to Birmingham gay bars and clubs, minds naturally wander to the growing scene centred around the Gay Village in Southside. Encompassing the Nightingale Club (still a top-rated destination in town) and the Windmill bar in the 1970s, the area has now expanded to include venues of all sorts – from cabaret clubs to cocktail bars and different kinds of shops. Many credit the growth and expansion of the neighbourhood to the Sexual Offences Act of 1967, which partially decriminalised gay sex.
But look past the Gay Village and find a slew of LGBT-friendly destinations that serve the city with pride. From Sidewalk, a 1930s car showroom turned club, to The Loft Lounge, a decadent bar ideal for a fun pregame, most of these hotspots are the stuff of legend – we wouldn’t be surprised to find entire exhibits dedicated to them at the city's top museums.