Rainbow quarters and gay villages across the UK
Rainbow Quarter began as a guide to Blackpool's Rainbow Quarter, and Blackpool is still our home. The same approach works everywhere, so we are sharing it with LGBTQ+ quarters and villages across the country: every venue checked, every fact sourced, and an honest account of what each council has really done.
Every quarter here is open to everyone. They celebrate LGBTQ+ heritage and they welcome all, whoever you are and whoever you love.
Our home: Blackpool
Blackpool: Rainbow QuarterOur home: the council-backed Be You quarter around Lord Street, Queen Street, Dickson Road, Springfield Road and Banks Street.Walk Blackpool's quarterThe live walk-along guide, venue by venue.Every Blackpool streetA page for every street in the quarter.
Across the UK
Manchester: Gay VillageCanal Street, Richmond Street, Bloom Street and Sackville Street, beside the Rochdale Canal.Liverpool: Pride QuarterStanley Street, Victoria Street, Cumberland Street and Eberle Street, home of the UK's first rainbow street signs.Birmingham: Gay VillageHurst Street, Kent Street and Lower Essex Street in Southside, beside the Hippodrome and the Chinese Quarter.Bristol: Old MarketOld Market Street and West Street by Cabot Circus, plus The Strip on Frogmore Street.Nottingham: Rainbow QuarterHockley's Broad Street, Carlton Street and Heathcote Street, officially opened as the Rainbow Quarter in June 2026.Leeds: Freedom QuarterLower Briggate, Call Lane and The Calls, under the rainbow Freedom Bridge, next to Leeds station.Newcastle: Pink TriangleTimes Square, Scotswood Road and Westmorland Road, between Central Station and the Arena.
How official is each quarter?
Not every "gay village" is recognised by its council, and not every council means the same thing by recognition. We set out what is actually in place for each one, in the council's own words where they exist:
- Blackpool: the council agreed an action plan for the area in January 2024 and runs it as the Be You programme.
- Manchester: the council recognised the Village in the 1990s and launched a Gay Village Action Plan in March 2024, with safety, greening, heritage and street-art commitments.
- Liverpool: the council officially recognised the gay quarter in 2011, put up the UK's first rainbow street signs, and the area became the Pride Quarter in 2021.
- Birmingham: no single designation, but council street improvements, planning protection for venues and a business-district strategy.
- Bristol: no LGBTQ+ designation; Old Market is a conservation area and is promoted as "The Village" by the city's tourism body.
- Nottingham: the Rainbow Quarter was developed by a community group and officially opened in June 2026, with the council and the city's business improvement district as supporters.
- Leeds: the council has not formally designated the area, but it calls it the Freedom Quarter in its LGBT+ Inclusive Leeds work and paid for Pride paving and rainbow lighting on Lower Briggate.
- Newcastle: the council has no designation or plan for the Pink Triangle; the name comes from the city-centre business district and the tourism agency.
Compare the quarters
| Quarter | Status | Venues listed |
|---|---|---|
| Blackpool Rainbow Quarter | Council action plan (2024), Be You programme | 33 |
| Manchester Gay Village | Council action plan (March 2024) to preserve and protect the Village. | 19 |
| Liverpool Pride Quarter | Recognised by the council as the city's gay quarter in 2011; rebranded the Pride Quarter in 2021. | 9 |
| Birmingham Gay Village | Backed by council public-realm works and planning protection; no single designation document. | 11 |
| Bristol Old Market | Not designated for its LGBTQ+ scene; a conservation area since 1979, promoted as the Village by Visit Bristol. | 11 |
| Nottingham Rainbow Quarter | Community-led, council-supported. Opened 17 June 2026. | 14 |
| Leeds Freedom Quarter | Not formally designated; named and supported in the council's LGBT+ Inclusive Leeds work. | 10 |
| Newcastle Pink Triangle | Not designated by the council; the name is used by the city-centre business district and tourism agency. | 14 |