Louisville is known for its vibrant and inclusive LGBTQIA+ scene so of course we have plenty of gay and gay-friendly bars around the city.
While some are traditional gay bars, others are putting on fun LGBTQIA+ events certain nights of the month with everything from "Beerlesque" drag shows to a ladies only pop-up food night.
From drag to Pride month events to karaoke nights, each of the bars on this list bring something unique to the city.
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Josie Seymour
Big Bar
1202 Bardstown Rd
Big Bar lives up to its name as this bar is notoriously huge, with an outdoor patio and upstairs lounge, among other things, there’s space here for everyone. Their frozen drinks are a hit and will be refreshing in the summer heat.
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Josie Seymour
Chill Bar Highlands
1117 Bardstown Rd
Named by Yelp as one of the Top 50 Best Gay Bars in America, Chill Bar in the Highlands is the perfect place to spend your night. As the weather warms up, the patio is the perfect place to sip on drinks and chat with friends; after all, Chill also has one of the top patios in Louisville.
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Josie Seymour
Play Dance Bar
1101 E. Washington St.
Play Dance Bar is the perfect spot to experience the best drag in Louisville featuring winner’s of the famous Rupaul's Drag Race. The best part about this place is that many events are 18+.
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Pride Bar + Lounge, New Albany, Indiana
504 State St
Pride Bar and Lounge is the only gay bar in southern Indiana which means everyone should pay it a visit. From drag shows to karaoke, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
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Josie Seymour
The House Lounge
1148 Garvin St.
Said to be a mix between a dive bar and a gay bar, The House Lounge focuses on music as it offers fun karaoke nights, a baby grand piano, and sing-a-longs. If you’re looking for a chill night out, this is the place to be.
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Nowhere Bar
1133 Bardstown Rd
Located in the Highlands, this bar has a large outdoor space perfect for dancing the night away. Known for its Electronic Dance Music, EDM lovers, this place is for you.
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The Pearl of Germantown
1151 Goss Ave.
On the last Thursday of every month, The Pearl of Germantown presents Behind the Pink Door, a night for lesbians around Louisville to mingle with one another as they munch on burgers from POCO. The event begins at 8pm and ends at midnight.
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Shippingport Brewery
1221 W Main St.
Come out to Shippingport Brewery on the last Sunday of every month as they have their Beerlesque event, a fun mixture of drag and burlesque. This event is $10 and for anyone 18+.
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Magnolia Bar
1398 S. 2nd St.
If you’re ever in Old Louisville, you should stop for a drink at Magnolia Bar, or MagBar, as it’s known to frequent guests. MagBar has a lineup of fun specials and events taking place in the month of June.
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Kaiju
1004 E. Oak S.
There are as many signs of queer and trans acceptance at Kaiju as there are symbols of kaiju, mecha, and vaporwave. The Germantown bar offers Japanese pub food (including gyoza and makimono from Dragon King’s Daughter), co*cktails, and craft beers, and regularly features live performances by LGBTQ artists. And this ally space is open from 4:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. every day.
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The MerryWeather
1101 Lydia St.
They might not announce themselves as a gay bar — and they might not keep Tegan and Sara songs on rotation — but their inclusive staff and diverse roster of DJs make this Schnitzelburg bar both a chill spot and a queer safe space. The patio is amazing year round and especially gay in the summertime.
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