Rainbow QuarterThe independent guide to gay Blackpool

The Duke

A gay-friendly pub on Dickson Road with food all day, nightly karaoke and a Saturday comedy drag show.

Gay-friendly pub

FoodKaraokeDrag

What it is

The Duke, in the old Duke of York Hotel building, is a mainstream local pub that sits inside the Rainbow Quarter and appears on the quarter's bar maps. It is not an LGBTQ+ bar in the way Garlands or the Handbag are, but it is part of the same family. The Lancashire brewer Thwaites runs all three, and the Duke shares Garlands' cheap drinks offers and its taste for camp entertainment. Expect a mixed crowd of locals, holidaymakers and quarter regulars.

Its strengths are food from breakfast onwards, a pool table, darts and karaoke every night. It is a handy, inexpensive base on the northern part of Dickson Road.

What's on through the week

  • Every night: karaoke from 8pm.
  • Monday: Sing to Win with DJ Quackers, with a bar tab for the best singer.
  • Tuesday: curry night, and Karingo (karaoke bingo) from 8pm.
  • Wednesday: a free-entry singalong night.
  • Thursday: karaoke and a burger-and-pint deal.
  • Friday: karaoke with DJ Quackers.
  • Saturday: the Tilly Thrills comedy drag show, the pub's main drag fixture.
  • Sunday: roast dinners, and karaoke with Aaron Heath.

Food and drink

The Duke is one of the most useful places in the quarter for food. Breakfast is served from 9am to noon, the main menu (fish and chips, grills, burgers, a weekly curry) runs from noon to 7.30pm, and a late-bites menu runs until 9pm. Sunday roasts are served from noon. The drinks deals match its sister venues, with house lager and smooth bitter at about £2.50 a pint and cut-price double spirits. There are also cask ales from the brewery. Tables can be booked for food and for evening packages.

Who it suits

The Duke suits anyone staying on Dickson Road who wants a cooked breakfast or an early dinner before the bars, karaoke lovers, and fans of a low-key drag comedy night on a Saturday.

Accessibility

No accessibility details are published. Ask the pub directly.

Location and nearby

The Duke is on Dickson Road about five minutes' walk from Blackpool North, near Peek-a-Booze, Lu-Lu's and the Belvedere. Funny Girls and Man Bar are a few minutes south.

Nearby

Details last checked 8 October 2026. Times and line-ups change, so confirm with the venue before you travel.