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.
Funny Girls (original Queen Street bar) (closed)
The little corner bar at the Promenade end of Queen Street where Blackpool's most famous drag show began.
Permanently closed
A small room with big ambitions
Funny Girls opened in July 1994 in a small corner unit at the Promenade end of Queen Street, where it meets The Strand. Basil Newby's idea was all-male drag cabaret for everyone, gay or straight, at a time when Section 28 was still law. He has said the climate of those years was part of what drove him to make a show that welcomed all comers.
Bursting at the seams
The room was too small almost from the first night. Funny Girls spread into neighbouring shop units along Queen Street, but it still could not fit everyone in, and word of the show spread well beyond Blackpool.
The move and what came after
In 2002 Newby moved Funny Girls into the restored Odeon cinema on Dickson Road, with Joan Collins as guest of honour on opening night. The show has played there ever since, with new owners taking over in 2026.
The original Queen Street corner was taken over by an Australian-themed sports bar, and the Walkabout still trades from the Promenade end of the street today. It is a very different place now, but this is where the queens of Funny Girls first took a bow.
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.