Visiting gay Blackpool on your own

Why Blackpool works for solo travellers

The Rainbow Quarter is small, friendly and full of places where it's normal to walk in alone. The bars are sociable rather than posey, the drag hosts make a point of bringing the room together, and many of the guesthouses have bars where guests chat to each other and the owners. Lots of people come on their own, especially midweek and outside the summer season.

Where to stay

• A guesthouse with a bar is ideal. You'll have somewhere to start and end the night without walking anywhere, and owners are usually happy to point you at what's on. Lord Street and the side streets are full of them.
• Single rooms. Some LGBTQ+ guesthouses have single rooms or rooms for single occupancy, which saves paying for a double.
• Men-only hotels. If you're a gay or bi man and want a men-only space, there are a couple of discreet men-only hotels and a private-members guesthouse in the quarter. Several run themed weekends that are designed for meeting people.
• Women and non-binary travellers. Most of the quarter's guesthouses welcome everyone. A long-standing small hotel on Lord Street has historically been known as women-welcoming. Ask when you book if that matters to you.

Best places to meet people

• Garlands. Daytime drag and a crowd that chats between acts.
• Rendezvous and Mardi Gras on Lord Street. Small, friendly and full of regulars.
• Trades Bar on Lord Street is a men-only bar known as a relaxed place for gay men to meet and talk.
• Karaoke and quiz nights. Several bars run karaoke and quizzes through the week. Nothing breaks the ice like a duet.
• Bear and themed weekends at men-only venues are built around meeting new people. See our guide to bear and leather weekends.
• Community groups. If you're staying longer or live locally, there's an LGBTQ+ choir, a monthly swim, inclusive football and cycling groups and regular social evenings at Horizon on Dickson Road. These are great ways to meet people outside the bars.

Solo-friendly things to do

• Funny Girls is easy to enjoy alone. Book a single seat or stand at the bar.
• The museum and gallery exhibitions on LGBTQ+ heritage are good daytime solo outings.
• A walk along the Promenade and the North Shore cliffs, and the Illuminations in season.
• A Sunday roast in a quarter bar, where solo diners are common.

Looking after yourself

• Tell someone where you're staying and roughly what your plans are.
• Watch your drink. Don't leave it unattended and don't accept drinks you didn't see poured.
• Plan your route home. If you're staying in the quarter, you'll be a few minutes' walk away. Stick to the main lit streets late at night.
• Use licensed taxis. Hail a hackney cab or use the rank outside Funny Girls, or pre-book private hire. Never get into an unbooked car.
• Meeting someone from an app? Meet in a busy bar first, tell a friend, and keep control of your own transport.
• Ask for Angela. Asking bar staff for "Angela" is a discreet signal that you feel unsafe and need help. The scheme is part of the council's plans for the quarter's night-time economy, though not every venue will necessarily have signed up.
• Chemsex and harm reduction. The local LGBTQ+ health charity on Dickson Road offers confidential, non-judgemental harm reduction advice.

If something goes wrong

Call 999 in an emergency or 101 for non-emergencies. You can also report hate crime online or through a local third-party reporting centre if you'd rather not go to the police directly. See our safety guide for the details.