Drag cabaret in the UK: where to see a drag show, from London to Glasgow
Drag shows, cabaret bars and drag brunches across the UK: London, Manchester, Blackpool, Brighton, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
Drag is part of British nightlife, from seaside show bars to village pubs and big-city cabaret clubs. Our directory lists more than 50 drag and cabaret venues across the United Kingdom. Here is a city-by-city selection, with what to expect from a drag night and a few tips before you go.
What to expect at a UK drag night
Most venues mix several formats through the week. A cabaret show is a hosted evening of lip-sync, live vocals, comedy and audience banter, often with a resident queen and visiting guests. Drag bingo, drag karaoke and quiz nights are lighter and more interactive. Drag brunches, usually on Saturday or Sunday daytime, add food and drinks to the show and are popular with groups.
The crowd is mostly LGBTQ+ with friends and allies, and many bars welcome hen parties and birthday groups. Some shows are seated and bookable, others happen on a pub stage between DJ sets. Check the programme on the venue's page before you go: nights change with the seasons.
Drag shows in London
In Camden, The Black Cap is a historic LGBTQ+ pub and a long-time home of London drag. It reopened in March 2026 after a decade-long closure and a community campaign. Over two floors with a terrace, it runs drag bingo on Mondays, open mic on Tuesdays, karaoke on Wednesdays and cabaret on Thursdays.
In Greenwich, at the foot of Crooms Hill, Ye Olde Rose & Crown is a traditional pub a short walk from the park. Its calendar mixes drag shows and cabaret with quiz and bingo karaoke nights, and it takes part in Greenwich Pride each summer. More addresses in the capital are on the page drag cabarets in London.
Manchester and Blackpool
Manchester's Gay Village, around Canal Street and Bloom Street, has drag every night of the week. The Goose reopened in 2024 after a full refurbishment and runs a weekly programme of drag and cabaret, with a Thursday Midnight Cabaret and shows on Saturdays and Sundays. A few doors away, New York New York, known as The Party Palace, has been on Bloom Street for more than thirty years and advertises drag and entertainment every night. See all addresses on the Manchester page.
Blackpool is a classic for a drag weekend by the sea. On Queen Street, The Flying Handbag is a purpose-built gay bar opened in 2006 with a cabaret stage, a dance floor and a roof terrace. On Talbot Road, Garlands lists drag and cabaret every day of the week, with resident queens, singalongs and hosted game shows. More on the page drag cabarets in Blackpool.
Brighton and the south coast
In Kemptown, Madam Lola's is a cabaret club set under the dome of the former Hanbury Ballroom, a listed building. It opened in June 2026, and its Friday and Saturday shows mix drag, burlesque, circus, aerial acts, live vocals and comedy, for over-18s only. Other Brighton addresses are on the page drag cabarets in Brighton.
Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle
- In Birmingham's Gay Village, The Village runs drag-hosted karaoke and midnight drag performances from Thursday to Saturday, with resident queens.
- On Lower Briggate in the Freedom Quarter, Viaduct Showbar presents itself as a fully choreographed drag cabaret venue, with a main show on Fridays and Saturdays and a VIP lounge overlooking the stage.
- Near Liverpool's waterfront, FunnyBoyz Liverpool combines drag shows, bingo, games and tribute acts, with an interactive weekend show popular with groups and hen parties.
- In Newcastle, on Times Square by the Centre for Life, Rusty's Showbar has resident queens hosting the evenings and a Saturday afternoon drag brunch.
Scotland: Glasgow and Edinburgh
In Glasgow's Merchant City, Virginia Street has two addresses facing each other. Delmonica's, open since 1991, runs a weekly Wednesday drag show with resident queens and guests. The Corset Club, opened in 2024 in the Jacobean Building, is a cocktail lounge and show bar with the Club Couture drag show every Friday and table bookings. More on the page Glasgow.
In Edinburgh's Pink Triangle, CC Blooms has been open since 1994: a bar and restaurant by day, a club across two floors at night, with pop, drag acts and cabaret seven nights a week.
Wales and Northern Ireland
On St Mary Street in central Cardiff, Mary's is a cabaret bar mixing live shows with karaoke and Cabaroke nights hosted by drag performers. In Belfast's Cathedral Quarter, Boombox Belfast focuses on drag cabaret and disco club nights, with the Cheeky Wednesday drag night and themed parties at weekends.
Tips for your first drag show
- Book for seated shows. Cabaret evenings and drag brunches often sell out at weekends, especially for groups.
- Front row means joining in. Queens love to involve the audience. If you prefer to watch quietly, sit further back.
- Tip the performers. In many bars it is customary to hand a note to the queen during a number.
- Respect everyone. Drag bars are LGBTQ+ spaces first: hen parties and groups are welcome as guests, not as the main act.
- Check age limits. Some shows are 18+ only, while some daytime events accept younger guests.
Find a drag show near you
All venues are on the page drag cabarets, with a map and the Near me filter to see the closest ones. Each listing gives the address, the weekly programme announced by the venue and a link to its website for bookings.
