A Guide to LBGT Nightlife in Madrid

Madrid has long had a reputation for being one of the most welcoming cities in Europe to the LGBT+ community. This reputation obviously stems from the people themselves and their attitude towards diversity, but also for what is on offer for both LGBT travellers, locals and expats.

A huge part of what makes a city attractive is the nightlife, and this is often something that plays a huge factor in deciding where people choose to travel or live. Madrid is definitely not lacking when it comes to nightlife, and this is equally as true when it comes to the cities gay scene.

Where to go out in Madrid?

The heart of the LGBT community in Madrid is Chueca, and this is where most of the gay bars and clubs are located. Bars don’t usually get busy until well past 10pm, and the actual clubs often don’t start until after midnight. It’s quite common for gay locals to sit in the bars for quite a few hours, drinking and eating tapas before heading to one of the larger clubs for 1-2am.

Whilst drinking in the local bars can be relatively cheap, the night clubs usually have a cover charge, and drinks inside the clubs are often quite pricey. However, the cover charge usually includes a free drink, usually a long drink, known locally as “una cubata” or a beer.

At various times throughout the month, a lot of the nightclubs throw special parties and events which are a lot of fun. These are often advertised online, on the nightclubs social media pages, or by visiting the area of Chueca you will find posters and flyers everywhere.

Madrid definitely has a lot on offer when it comes to LGBT nightlife. Here are our top picks of gay bars, clubs and parties that you should definitely check out.

Gay Bars

Boyberry, Calle Valverde

Boyberry is a really nice bar to just sit and enjoy a few drinks. Drink prices here are average, the staff are all cute and the music is often recent pop and chart.

La Kama, Calle Augusto Figueroa

La Kama is a really great bar to meet for drinks before heading to one of the larger gay clubs. They play great pop music and drinks are very reasonably priced.

Gay Clubs

DLRO Live, Calle Pelayo

This is a bar/club found on 2 levels in the heart of Chueca. Upstairs opens first, where most people start their night drinking whilst enjoying a local drag show. The downstairs club area then opens later in the night. Entry here is between 10 – 15 euros, with a drink on entry included. It gets very full and very busy, especially on a Saturday night, and the music is a mixture of Spanish and international pop and house.

Boite, Calle de Tetuan

Boite is actually located in Callao rather than Chueca, but is a really great night. It’s a relatively large club with a big dance floor, and it attracts a really mixed crowd. The music here is international pop and dance, perfect for dancing the night away! There are often parties and events here, with live performances on the stage.

Gay Nights and Events

Churros con Chocolate, Sala Tirso

Churros is a gay party that takes place every month, usually on the last Sunday. As it isn’t held so frequently, it ends up as a huge party. The location offers a few different rooms each playing a different genre of music, including mainstream pop, Spanish pop and techno. We really enjoyed the fact that they played quite a lot of English/international pop, great for expats and British gay travellers.

Tanga, Teatro Barcelo

Tanga is another gay party night that is held every couple of weeks. This is also a very popular event, usually attracting a younger crowd. Tanga parties are often themed, with recent nights being Abba themed, J-Lo themed and Madonna themed. Check out their Facebook page for the dates and themes. Entry is usually between 10 – 15 euros including a free drink on entry.

We hope you found our guide useful, and it helps you plan your next big gay night out in Madrid! There are obviously many more bars, clubs, and even cafes on offer in this city, but these are our top picks that we highly recommend you check out first!

Looking for a place in Madrid? Spotahome has you covered.

A Guide to LGBT Nightlife in Madrid