FLM
Photograph: Courtesy FLM
Photograph: Courtesy FLM

The best LGBTQ+ venues in Hong Kong to celebrate Pride Month in

Queer-friendly spots in the city that throw some of the most colourful festivities in town

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Pride Month is in full swing, and if you haven’t been stunting it around town being loud and proud, then you’ve still got a while to celebrate. Whether you want to belt out gay anthems at a karaoke bar, ogle at bartenders, or just chill with like-minded people with good drinks and bites, these venues around Hong Kong are safe, inclusive spaces that gather the best of the queer community.

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Best LGBTQ+ friendly spots in Hong Kong

  • Sheung Wan
  • Recommended

One of the most popular gay bars in Hong Kong, this iconic venue on Jervois Street hosts fun-themed nights, live performances, and fun activities like karaoke, bingo, and trivia nights. The place attracts a mixed crowd of locals, expats, and tourists, young and old, so expect to gain a lot of friends when you party in the area, especially during packed weekends.  

  • Causeway Bay
  • Recommended

Bing Bing HK – formerly Circo – sits high on the 22nd floor overlooking the bustling Causeway Bay neighbourhood below. The gay bar boasts a spacious location and an electrifying vibe, unlike any other place. Sexy mixologists are on hand to serve up affordable signature cocktails. It's hardly surprising that this place has become a popular stomping ground for younger local crowds.  

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  • Causeway Bay

This Causeway Bay venue is a hip restobar owned by Jay Venn, more popularly known as Hong Kong-based drag queen Mocha Diva, who appeared in the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race in Thailand. During the daytime, Vivere offers Italian food that people can dig into. At night, the place transforms into a hip club complete with adrenaline-pumping music where guests can enjoy two-for-one cocktails on Tuesdays and $200 free-flow house pours for two hours on Toxic Thursdays. Those who love spirited brunches can also look forward to their fun Drag Show Brunches every first Sunday of every month to catch Hong Kong’s popular drag queens put on a fabulous show for everyone to enjoy. 

  • Clubs
  • Central

Dancers and ravers should head to 宀 Mihn Club in Sheung Wan for their monthly Host parties, which are their popular gay and lesbian nights. Partygoers are encouraged to strip down and let loose – you can feel safe doing so because they have a strict no-photos policy, with safety stickers applied to everyone’s phone cameras on the way in. There’s also no pesky dress code as is the case with plenty of other clubs in the city. Mihn is inclusive, mysterious, and a little debauched, just how we like it.

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  • Cafés
  • Yau Ma Tei
  • Recommended

The very opposite of the thumping bars in this list, Mum’s Not Home is a whimsical, plant-filled cafe in Yau Me Tei founded by partners Chow Kong-chuen and Makui Ma. Last we heard, the couple had broken up but remain good friends and are still running this joyfully queer space decked out in colourful items, mismatched furniture, neon signs, artsy bric-a-brac, and a stunning collection of cheesecakes to enjoy.

  • Soho
  • Recommended

A fun spot at Old Bailey Street, grungy American-style dive bar The Pontiac is a staunch supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community. People come here for the fun vibe and affordable but award-winning cocktails. If you like the rockabilly or biker chick vibe, then the Ponty crowd will be right up your alley – it’s giving Coyote Ugly and we honestly love it. If you’ve noticed all the bras hanging from the ceiling, they’re mementos left by customers who clambered onto the bar and danced with the team, a tribute to the now-defunct female-run Hogs & Heifers bar in New York.

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  • Causeway Bay
  • Recommended

Tucked away in the same building as Bing Bing, Singsing can be considered its younger but more sophisticated sibling. As the name suggests, this is very much a singing-focused venue, with the vibes of an upscale karaoke lounge. Visitors can line up their song choices on Singsing’s huge electronic tablet before heading up to the two-seater podium with a dedicated karaoke setup. They also host singing competitions where the best singers can stand to win bottles, so keep an eye on their socials.

  • Causeway Bay

One of the newer additions to Hong Kong’s lesbian bar scene, this hidden speakeasy-style bar in Causeway Bay caters to those who want skillfully crafted, Instagram-worthy cocktails. The bar regularly hosts fun events like standup comics, live music, and karaoke nights. Hit them up on Facebook to stay updated with any upcoming programmes.   

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  • Causeway Bay

Located in the same building as Bing Bing HK, Vibranium is another standout gay bar in the Causeway Bay area. This is really more of a local spot so don’t come here expecting to see a room full of expats. Known for its affordable cocktails, the bar happily doesn’t enforce a cover charge or minimum consumption – temper expectations about the quality of the tipples, but at least they’re cheap so you can drink to your heart’s content.

  • Causeway Bay

Virus has been in the business since 1997 and has moved to various locations in Hong Kong Island over the years. Though the bar has shifted to a more gender-inclusive audience, it remains a haven for like-minded women. Drop by here for some fun and enjoy the karaoke in the main room or cosy up in the couch area and indulge in grilled izakaya dishes, and enjoy libations from their happy hour menu from 6.30pm to 9.30pm offering free flow red and white wine, beers, and sake for only $98 per serving.

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  • Causeway Bay

L’Paradis has been around for years so when they announced their closure last year, we thought Hong Kong was losing another of its dwindling lesbian bars. Thankfully, they’ve rose back from the ashes under a new name, Lessy, still in the same location. As a popular stomping ground for like-minded women, this bar frequently sees younger LGBTQIA+ crowds for fun drinking games like darts, beer pong, and themed events. There’s also some table-top dancing on certain nights for added chaos.

  • Sheung Wan

Established by Tony Wong, formerly a partner at Zoo, Wink is your typical decent Hong Kong gay bar – all black, minimal and sleek, and with ballad covers of pop hits coming out of the stereo with their daily karaoke nights in the earlier part of the night. Their speciality cocktails can pack a surprising punch and are just the thing to get you dancing when the DJs are brought in for the weekend.

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  • Central

Located on Pottinger Street, LinQ – pronounced ‘link’ – is a bar that attracts a mixed crowd of locals and expats which usually spills out onto the cobbled street. They often have happy hours, which offer the best drink deals in the city, but the promotion times vary, so make sure to check what they have on offer when you visit. Swing by every Wednesday, show them your Grindr account, and get their special buy-one-get-one-free deal. 

  • Central

For laid-back weeknights, drop by at Time Bar for a drink or two. Being tucked away gives Time a sense of privacy and intimacy. There’s a wonderful al fresco vibe here as the action spills out onto the courtyard around Man Hing Lane and complementing all these are some great cocktails. All these elements combine to make this one of the most popular gay bars in the city.

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  • Jordan

This popular gay bar (a bear haven by reputation) is one of the more reasonably priced bars around, a place where you can sit back and enjoy a drink without draining your bank account. Once you've partaken of sufficient liquid courage, you can try Boo Bar’s state-of-the-art karaoke system, which has one of the better selections of tunes in the city.

  • Things to do
  • Repulse Bay

Middle Bay Beach is well-known among the queer community as the gay beach of Hong Kong. Located between Repulse Bay and South Bay, and with no direct transportation stopping right at the beach, this is a secluded, tranquil spot that’s a world away from the touristy Repulse Bay. There are technically two beaches within Middle Bay; the smaller one that sits north of the main beach is more quiet, very queer, and unofficially okay with nude sunbathers. Further down the road, South Bay also has a ‘gay section’, which is the left end of the beach.

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