Saturday will see the capital showered in colour and love. Streets and spectators will be waving rainbow-themed flags, there will no doubt be some gorgeous, outlandish outfits on show and also plenty of themed cocktails and foodie pop-ups to indulge in. Why, I hear you ask? Pride is returning to London, promising a whole weekend of extravagant celebrations we’re sure you won’t want to miss. 

Alongside the main parade – which will see the colourful extravaganza begin at Marble Arch, travel past Hyde Park, down Piccadilly and end in Trafalgar Square – many London institutions will also be holding their own Pride events. From cocktails and brunches to art installations and popping parties, all created in honour of the LGBTQ+ community and its contribution to society, here’s where to celebrate Pride 2023 in London.

Pride at The Standard, London, King’s Cross

With a special edition of its renowned TheirStories series – a monthly discussion seeking to investigate, celebrate and uplift the diverse narratives of London’s vibrant LGBTQIA+ community – The Standard, London is going all out for Pride this year with an intimate Q&A with singer and writer Jake Shears on 30 June. Best known as the lead singer of the multi-platinum-selling band Scissor Sisters, Shears will be reflecting on his career so far including growing up in the US, acting on Broadway and working alongside Elton John. Post-discussion, enjoy a unique performance by pianist and London drag royalty Barbs.

Elsewhere in the five-star hotel on 30 June, join the inaugural pre-Pride Apéritif party hosted by drag queen Bimini Bon Boulash in celebration of the charity Not A Phase, which works to uplift the lives of trans+ adults across the UK. Taking place in Sweeties – a late-night destination for playful revelry under a disco ball – The Standard is bringing London’s hottest queer disco party to the hotel’s 10th floor featuring music by Hilit Jolet, Grace Sands and Fidel. It’s sure to be a night to remember. 

Tickets from £10, visit standardhotels.com

Pride at the London Eye, Southbank

To celebrate Pride month, the London Eye has partnered with queer historian Mark T Cox to create a unique version of his popular walking tours of London. For one day only on 30 June, the tour aims to educate and entertain guests with fascinating stories of London’s queer history as they take the 30-minute tour across the city’s skyline aboard the ‘Pride Pod’. As guests soar high in the sky, Cox will point out important LGBT+ landmarks such as Trafalgar Square, where the first UK Pride took place in July 1972; Islington Town Hall, where one of the very first same-sex marriages took place in 2014; and the site of one of Europe’s largest queer nightclubs, Heaven.

Tickets from £45, visit londoneye.com

Pride at The London Edition, Fitzrovia

On 1 July, join fashion designer Henry Holland and RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, Violet Chachki, at The London Edition’s Berners Tavern to celebrate London Pride with a delicious brunch in support of the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT) – which works to beat homelessness in the LBTQ+ community – and Not A Phase. With two sittings, at 11.30am and 2.30pm, guests will first be treated to a headline performance from international drag superstars including Violet Chachki, before tucking into a special three-course menu (details yet to be revealed). Ending on a high, make sure you enter the incredible charity raffle to win prizes donated by Anissa Kermiche, Fiorucci, Rotate, Henry Holland and Jean Paul Gaultier. You’ve got to be in it to win it… 

Tickets from £60, visit editionhotels.com

Buttmitzvah at Miznon, Soho

Image: Ollie Grove

Tel Aviv-born Miznon is teaming up with the iconic queer Jewish party Buttmitzvah for the ultimate pickle-flavoured simcha to raise funds for trans-led charity, Not A Phase. Hosted in the heart of Soho at the buzzy Broadwick Street outpost, guests can expect drag queens, DJs, klezmer music, chair-lifting, classic round-and-round spiralised dancing, and of course, lots of pitta bread and hummus.

From 12-4pm, enjoy performances from Buttmizvah regulars, DJ Jeremy Stubbings and drag queens Gaye Rimmer and Ash Kenazi, while sipping on a new Pride cocktail, The Proudest Grapefruit: a delicious mix of East London Liquor vodka, grapefruit, sage, and prosecco dressed with a blueberry sherbet rim. 

Visit miznon.co.uk

Pride at Mr Fogg’s Pawnbrokers, Soho

Running until 2 July, Mr Fogg’s Pawnbrokers in Soho will be fundraising in support of Stonewall – the largest LGBT rights organisation in Europe – whereby a discretionary £1 will be added to every bill. As the newest addition to the Mr Fogg’s portfolio, the Pawnbrokers bar will be decorated with a rainbow flower installation and proudly display a progress pride flag in support of the LGBTQ+ community. 

Those wanting to be in the heart of the action in Soho this weekend can book tables to sample limited-edition Pride cocktails including the Sparkles of Royalty, an aromatic and floral combination of butterfly pea flower-infused Grey Goose L’Original vodka, St Germain Elderflower liqueur, passion fruit syrup and rhubarb lemonade. Our favourite, however, is the tropical Gilded Rum Refresher bringing together coconut cream infused with spiced rum, Lazzaroni Maraschino liqueur, toasted rice syrup and Franklin and Sons pineapple and almond soda, topped with sparkling wine. If you’d rather immerse yourself in the Soho spirit, you can order these cocktails to take away too. 

Visit mr-foggs.com

Proud West End at Oxford Street

Image: Ahmani Vidal

From 28 June, Oxford Street is launching Proud West End: a ground-breaking audio-visual art exhibition which champions and amplifies the voices of the West End’s LGBTQIA+ community. The free, on-street exhibition will comprise installations of large-scale portraits of Proud West End’s storytellers and with their stories accessed via a QR code located next to the portrait. Created in collaboration with Heard Storytelling, take your time to listen to the conversations with RuPaul’s Drag Race star Divina de Campo and many more. 

Visit oxfordstreet.co.uk

Pride cocktails at Silverleaf, The City

Image: Julian Abrams

Silverleaf, the destination cocktail bar at Pan Pacific London, will host five talented LGBTQA+ bartenders from across the UK for a special takeover on 30 June to celebrate diversity within the hospitality industry. Alongside a great cocktail list (more on that later), expect an evening of extravagant entertainment as Silverleaf hosts DJs from the London LGBTQA+ music scene and drag king Daisy Doris May from the performance collective, Häus of Dons. 

At the bar, the experienced bartenders have curated a limited-edition cocktail menu inspired by the vibrant colours of the Pride flag. Pick from the Green, mixing Hendricks Neptunia, lime and soda; Orange, featuring Monkey Shoulder, nectarine and white tea; and Purple made from Reyka, sour cream and beetroot. A portion of the profits made on the night will be donated to the MindOut charity, a charity which seeks to improve the mental health and wellbeing of all LGBTQ communities. 

Visit panpacific.com

Pride brunch at Aqua Kyoto, Soho

Aqua Kyoto is bringing the rainbow to Regent Street on 1 and 2 July with a special Pride in London brunch and a one-off performance from one of the UK’s most up-and-coming drag talents. From 12pm to 4pm on both days, enjoy an afternoon performance from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK contestant Sister Sister before being served delectable dishes including fried cauliflower with black sesame dressing and crispy shallots, pickled rainbow beetroot salad, rock shrimp tempura with spicy chilli and garlic mayo, as well as Aqua Kyoto’s signature sushi platter. We believe this is best enjoyed alongside a couple of the Pride-inspired cocktails, such as the Slay Honey, mixing gin, honey and violet, and the Tutti Frutti: vodka, creme de fraise, apple juice, passion fruit syrup and lemonade, finished with edible glitter. 

Visit aquakyoto.co.uk

Pride at Nessa, Soho

Image: Rob Jones

Mars Montana

To mark the Pride parade on 1 July, Nessa, which sits on the corner of Warwick, Brewer and Glasshouse streets in the heart of Soho, will welcome guests to its bar for a day of celebratory extravagance, with love-inspired cocktails and a roster of fabulous DJs taking the party into the early hours. 

From 12pm, there will be a line-up of DJs curated by Mars Montana and ‘shot queens’ on hand throughout the day to serve drinks. Alongside Nessa's cocktail menu, indulge in the limited-edition Give Me Love cocktail: a vodka spritz with redcurrant puree, hibiscus syrup and London Essence blood orange and elderflower tonic. For revellers passing by on Brewer Street, there will also be a street-facing pop-up bar serving cocktails from East London Liquor Co, including the vodka and pomegranate seltzer and grapefruit gin and tonic, alongside Forest Road's Posh Lager and a selection of IPAs. 

Finally, go upstairs at 1 Warwick's private rooftop bar to find Yasmin, Tag Warner and Munroe Bergdorf hosting Casa Pride: the Gay Times' post-parade party with DJ Absolute on the decks. For members and guests of 1 Warwick, the spicy watermelon martinis will be flowing as the sun sets over Soho.

Visit nessasoho.com

Pride at Covent Garden

Christopher and Tammy Kane

Covent Garden is celebrating all forms of love with an immersive installation for Pride, as well as themed food and drink offerings across the estate and the continuation of the colourful, rainbow-hued bollards on Floral Street.

This summer, tourists and Londoners can enjoy the More Joy x Covent Garden: The Pride Installation by Christopher Kane, which features more than 2,000 multi-coloured flags above the Market Building and will be available to view until autumn. Elsewhere, a number of Covent Garden tenants will also be celebrating Pride with a range of activities and offers. For example, Shake Shack has joined forces with London Friend and Pride CYMRU, supporting the charities’ work with a limited-edition Pride Shake – cookie butter frozen custard with rainbow krispies topped with whipped cream – donating £1 from every sale during June. 

Cocktail connoisseurs should head to Seven Dials Market for a Feelin’ Spritzy and Berry Proud cocktail, on offer throughout June, where proceedings are donated to the charity MindOut. Last but not least, we recommend art lovers stop by Adorn the Common on 1 July for its pre-Pride cocktail party, where you can browse original paintings, limited edition prints and homewares. 

Visit coventgarden.london

Pride party at Home House, Marylebone

Images: Sally Twiggs

Private members’ club Home House will be hosting its highly-anticipated Pride Party on 30 June alongside special guest DJ Fat Tony. This spectacular event will be part of the club’s month-long celebration of diversity and love, which has involved special member events, a colourful floral installation by resident florist Ricky Paul Flowers, limited edition Pride-inspired cocktails and more.

The Pride Party at Home House is set to become an annual tradition, showcasing the club’s commitment to embracing and supporting the vibrant LGBTQ+ community amongst its members and beyond. Alongside the internationally-acclaimed Fat Tony, also enjoy performances by drag queen Grace Shush with a Pride-inspired Aphrodite cocktail in hand, blending Belvedere vodka, Mastiha spirit, agave, lemon and raspberries. 

Visit homehouse.co.uk

Pride brunch at Lío London, Leicester Square

La Discotheque. Image: Luke Dyson

Lío London knows how to put on a show, and luckily for Londoners, it will be hosting its own Pride brunch and after-party on 1 July to celebrate in style. Both events, which will bring Lío London’s first extravagant season to a close, will be dedicated to supporting AKT. 

The brunch and one-off show will feature special guests, including Jake DuPree, Beau Sargent and Lío Ibiza’s much-loved MC Gilberto, alongside an array of dishes such as Carabinero prawns a la plancha with sofrito and stracciatella ravioli, accompanied by a glass of champagne and unlimited mimosas. 

As the sun sets on the Pride parade in London, and following Lío’s dinner and show experience, Lío London will host an after-party in collaboration with Ibiza-born The Little Disco – the people who created La Discothèque. Featuring two exhilarating performances by drag queens Banksie Vil and Daguwrlz, accompanied by two support DJs Daisybelle and Carly Foxx, and the headline DJ, Nicky Siano, a former resident DJ at Studio 54, Lío is here to ensure Pride celebrations end on a high. 

Tickets from £70, visit liolondon.co.uk

Pride at One Hundred Shoreditch

One Hundred Shoreditch is taking Pride celebrations sky-high with its programme of events on 1 July. First up, a bottomless brunch on the rooftop makes for the perfect pre-Pride party with friends and will be hosted by drag extraordinaire Ginger Phlappage. Featuring an array of fabulous queens from across the country, expect lip-sync numbers, dance extravaganzas, comedy skits and much more. Moving onto the food, sample an array of Californian-inspired brunch dishes, such as smashed avocado on toast, wild mushroom tacos and shrimp burgers with spicy tartare sauce, all washed down with bottomless prosecco or refreshing cocktails. 

The evening will see the hotel transform into East London’s ultimate Pride party where you’re invited to dance the night away in the One Hundred Room, which offers panoramic views of the City of London via floor-to-ceiling windows. Expect live performances and DJ sets from the incredible Donnie Sunshine and Lagoon Femshayma who will be serving up the finest house and disco heaters from 9pm until late. Tickets for One Hundred Shoreditch’s Pride Afterparty are from £30 and include a welcome drink on arrival.

Visit designmynight.com

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