LGBTQ+ social groups, sport, choir & faith in Blackpool

Blackpool's bars are famous, but there's a lot more to LGBTQ+ life here than nights out. If you'd like to make friends, get active or try something creative, there are groups across the Fylde coast that welcome beginners. Most are free or cheap and run by people who remember being new themselves.

Get active

LGBTQ+ swimming group

On the last Thursday of every month, from 8.30pm to 9.30pm, the pool at Moor Park Leisure Centre in Bispham (Bristol Avenue) is reserved for LGBTQ+ swimmers. A qualified coach is on hand to help you improve your stroke or learn from scratch, the changing rooms are unisex, and every ability is welcome. It's free, though donations help keep it going. Register online with the county LGBTQ+ charity before your first swim. Upcoming dates include 29 October and 26 November. The last Thursday of December 2026 is New Year's Eve, so check the calendar before planning a festive swim.

LGBT+ cycling group

An informal LGBT+ cycling group rides around Blackpool and the wider coast, with the flat Promenade and quiet Fylde lanes making it easy for newcomers. Rides are arranged through the group's social media; the county LGBTQ+ charity's directory lists it.

Inclusive football

Blackpool FC's community charity has run weekly inclusive football for LGBTQ+ people and allies of any ability at the Aspire Sports Hub on Garstang Road West, starting with Monday evening sessions. Check the current schedule with the charity on 01253 348691 or movemore@bfcct.co.uk before you go.

Walking

The county LGBTQ+ charity runs a monthly LGBTQ+ walking group with medium-length walks of five to seven miles across Lancashire. Most walks are inland, but it's a good way to meet people from around the county. Register on the charity's website.

Get creative

Electric Pink Voices: Blackpool's LGBTQ+ choir

Blackpool's LGBTQ+ community choir rehearses every Tuesday from 6.30pm, this autumn at The Old Electric on Springfield Road, in the heart of the Rainbow Quarter. There are no auditions and it's free to join. Sign up through the choir's website.

Rainbow Creative Hub, St Annes

A newer arts club for LGBT+ people meets at a creative studio on St Andrews Road South in St Annes. Materials are free and tea or coffee costs a pound. Ask the county LGBTQ+ charity for session times.

Queer heritage and history

Blackpool's queer heritage project runs occasional History Club evenings and show-and-tell sessions, where people share memories, photos and objects from the town's LGBTQ+ past. They have been held in Rainbow Quarter venues and at Showtown. See our history pages and what's on listings.

Socials and peer groups

• Blackpool Allies meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month, 6pm to 8pm, at the LGBTQ+ health centre at 102 Dickson Road. It is a relaxed social for LGBT+ people and supporters. Ring 01253 311431 first to say you're coming.
• Lytham Let Live is a daytime friendship group that meets on the first Wednesday of each month, 10am to 12 noon, in St Annes. Register before you go.
• Online peer groups: the county charity runs a monthly online group for gay, bi, trans and queer men (masc non-binary people welcome) and another for women and femme non-binary people. Register on its website.
• Liberty Church hosts Food for Thought every Wednesday: a free meal from 6.30pm followed by a friendly discussion. You don't need to be religious.
• Trans and non-binary groups meet on Tuesdays. See our trans and non-binary support page.
• Young people have their own groups across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre. See our young people page.

Bears, leather and fetish scene

Blackpool hosts regular gatherings for bears, cubs and their admirers, and pup and kink weekends, at several men-only venues in and around the quarter. They are for adults only. Check our what's on pages for dates.

Start your own group

If the group you want doesn't exist, the county LGBTQ+ charity can help you get it listed in its directory, and the Dickson Road centre has hosted community groups. Pride's community fund has also offered small grants.

Times and venues can change, so check before you go.