Manchester and Liverpool from Dublin: a gay weekend across the Irish Sea

For Irish visitors, the north of England is one of the easiest weekends away: flights from Dublin to Manchester take under an hour, and the ferry to Liverpool lands right by the city centre. Both cities have large LGBTQ+ quarters a short walk from their stations. Here are seven addresses from our directory.

Manchester: the Gay Village

The Village is built around Canal Street, Bloom Street and Sackville Street, five minutes from Piccadilly Station. On Canal Street since 1995, Via Manchester works as a bar, club and restaurant, with a weekly line-up of cabaret performers and drag shows. On Bloom Street, New York New York has been known as "The Party Palace" for more than thirty years, with drag and entertainment advertised every night of the week and a resident DJ from Wednesday to Sunday.

Manchester: leather, fetish and a sauna

Also on Bloom Street, Eagle Manchester is a private members' club for men that presents itself as an LGBT fetish venue, with recurring nights for the leather, fetish and bear communities. Round the corner on Richmond Street, The Company Bar has been a men-only basement bar since 1998: small, dark, with a leather, bear and muscle crowd and fetish nights where a dress code may apply.

In Ancoats, a short walk from the Village, Basement Complex has occupied the basement of a former Victorian mill for more than twenty years. It has a dry sauna, steam room, two spa pools, a licensed bar and a large dimly lit area with private cabins. Entry is for men aged 18 and over, with annual membership and photo ID. Every Manchester address is on our page LGBTQ+ venues in Manchester.

Liverpool: the Pride Quarter

Liverpool's scene is concentrated around Stanley Street, a few minutes from Lime Street and the ferry terminal. In the heart of the Pride Quarter, Superstar Boudoir is known for camp cabaret and drag queens, open late every night with shows followed by pop dance nights. Near the docks on Blundell Street, FunnyBoyz Liverpool is a long-standing fixture of the city's cabaret scene, with drag queens, tribute acts, singers, karaoke and bingo every week and a big Saturday night show popular with groups and hen parties. More on our page drag in Liverpool.

Planning the weekend

• Getting there. Manchester Airport has direct trains to Piccadilly. Liverpool and Manchester are about 45 minutes apart by train, so you can do both in one trip.
• Money. It's pounds sterling; cards are accepted almost everywhere, but carry a little cash for cloakrooms.
• ID. Bring photo ID: members' clubs and the sauna ask for it, and so do many bars at the door.
• Dress codes. Fetish nights at the Eagle and The Company Bar may require leather, rubber or uniform. Check the calendar before you go.
• Consent. A hand moved away or a step back means no, in a darkroom as on a dance floor.

Back home

Our pages gay saunas and drag and cabaret list every address, in Ireland and abroad, with a map and directions. On the road, the "Near me" feature shows the venues around you.