The Flying Handbag
A big, purpose-built LGBTQ+ bar and club on Queen Street, open from noon every day with drag hosts, karaoke, food and a sun terrace.
Faye's, Roxy's and the Whippet Inn (closed)
Three names, one much-loved Queen Street building, now home to Sherlock's.
Permanently closed
Faye's Cafe Bar
The three-storey building at 23 Queen Street has been part of Blackpool's gay quarter for decades. In the 1990s it traded as Faye's Cafe Bar.
Roxy's
By the 2000s the building was Roxy's, and it had become a cabaret bar. It was spread over several levels, with a rustic, slightly gothic look, and it was known for drag cabaret, karaoke and variety nights. Roxy's was part of Basil Newby's In The Pink group in the mid-2010s.
The Whippet Inn
Later the building became the Whippet Inn, still within Newby's group. When the group went into administration in September 2018, the Whippet passed to a Lancashire brewer along with Funny Girls, the Flamingo, the Flying Handbag and Buzz. In 2019 the brewer sold it to two business partners who had previously run an LGBT bar in Birmingham's gay village.
What came next
They announced a new name in January 2020, but the pandemic delayed everything. The building finally reopened as Sherlock's on 5 November 2021, with Danny Beard, later a Drag Race UK winner, headlining the opening weekend. It still has bars on the ground and first floors and a balcony looking down over Queen Street.
If you remember Faye's, Roxy's or the Whippet, Sherlock's is the place to share those stories. Times and details can change, so check before you go.
Open bars nearby
Sherlock's
A stylish weekend LGBTQ+ bar on Queen Street with a balcony over the street, DJs and visiting performers.
Kaos
A Queen Street bar and late club, reopened in July 2026 after a full refit and open until 4am at weekends.