What are you looking for?
Cardiff - a Friendly City for the LGBTQ+ Community
Being home to Pride Cymru, the biggest Pride festival in Wales, Cardiff is a hotspot for everything LGBTQ+. One of the largest Pride festivals in the UK, this June event attracts over 50,000 visitors who march the parade before celebrating all things queer at the festival. In 2025, this weekend is celebrating its 40th year.
Outside of this festival, Cardiff remains LGBTQ+ friendly all year around. The city is home to the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival, one of the largest LGBTQ+ film festivals globally. It is a weeklong film extravaganza. With a wide spread of awards, the best International Short Film takes home £40,000. This week-long festival brings together global stories which the mainstream media can ignore. The Iris Prize platforms these films, shining a light on these stories to be seen by lovers of film and other film makers.
During the day and you want to grab a coffee somewhere LGBTQ+ friendly? Look no further than the Queer Emporium. Popular with the LGBTQ+ community, its especially favoured by young people, with one in ten of their customers being under 18. This venue also acts as a safe space for all members of the community, especially for those who identify as Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender Non-Conforming. Hosting a wide range of events, there are comedy nights and speed-dating. It is a community hub for events, socializing, and supporting queer-run businesses.
Who doesn’t love a drag performer? Cardiff has it all, Drag Queens, Kings, and everything in between. Popular venues such as Pulse and The Kings offer Drag Queen bingo, and karaoke. Every year, The Kings puts on ‘Jolene’s Drag Race’ where local drag superstar Jolene Dover brings together some of the best performers in the city to act, lip-sync and perform where one will take home the crown. Other bars like the Golden Cross and Mary’s as well as newer establishments like the Dock Feeder welcome LGBTQ+ people, and provide spaces for drinking, dancing, and having a fun time with your Queer friends. Another popular venue is Eclipse, which offer a range of nights such as ‘Hush Hush’, a Queer Techno Launch Party. With mainstay artists such as Chae with a C, and Diva Divine, you’ll be welcomed instantly by a dazzling Queen.
Cardiff offers a huge variety of LGBTQ+ celebrations and locations, and certainly platforms and promotes its LGBTQ+ people. From the Iris Prize Film Festival to the Queer Emporium and The Kings, there is a huge variety of spaces dedicated to the Queer community.