Mardi Gras
A gay-owned public bar and hotel on Lord Street with three areas, cabaret, hot food, Sunday roasts and keen drink prices.
The Wilcot piano bar (closed)
A gay-friendly Lord Street hotel with a little piano bar, now closed.
Permanently closed
A Lord Street favourite
The Wilcot Hotel at 80 Lord Street opened its doors in 2004 and spent two decades as one of the best-known gay-friendly places to stay in Blackpool. It billed itself as the town's premier gay-friendly accommodation, welcoming gay men, lesbians and their friends, and it was strictly adults only.
The Lord Street address put guests a few minutes from Funny Girls, the Flamingo and the bars of Queen Street, and close to the seafront and North station. The rooms were modern and en-suite, breakfast was a full English, and plenty of guests came back year after year.
The piano bar
What made the Wilcot special was its small licensed piano bar. It was a cosy place for a drink before heading out for the night. Small hotel bars like this were once a big part of Blackpool's gay scene, where guests and locals mixed late into the evening.
Closing time
The Wilcot's alcohol licence was suspended in September 2024 and formally surrendered in July 2025, and there is no sign of the hotel welcoming guests since late 2024. It belongs with the many small gay hotels that have quietly closed on Lord Street over the years.
Open bars nearby
Trades Hotel and Bar
A men-only members' hotel and late bar for gay and bi men, spread across several joined townhouses on Lord Street.
Neon Bar and Hotel Neon
An intimate cocktail bar with a garden, attached to the modern, adults-only Hotel Neon on the corner of Lord Street.
Rendezvous Bar and Rooms
A small, friendly bar with rooms at the station end of Lord Street, with something on most afternoons from Thursday to Sunday.
McGraths Bar and Hotel
An adults-only guest house with a lively public bar at the seaward end of Lord Street, known for resident drag and singers.
Evanescent Bar and Rooms
A small, laid-back bar with budget adults-only rooms on Cocker Street, popular as a pre-party stop.