LGBTI+ Guide
The city centre has a cosmopolitan spirit and the alleyways in the centre or numerous cafés, bars and restaurants provide a nice backdrop where you can enjoy a romantic evening with your partner or a meeting with friends.
Bratislava is a colourful city; its friendly, almost family-like atmosphere is made up of a number of diverse communities. It is a home to the rainbow community, with a few favourite joints and popular events held in the Slovak capital city, which also appeal to LGBTI+ communities from abroad.
Where to hang out with LGBTI+ community?
If you would like to meet LGBTI+ people and get to know the local queer scene, you should ideally follow the Queer Slovakia platform. The platform holds weekly bigger parties in Bratislava, which may be events of various genres from pop music through to techno style. The best-known parties are Shame, Homomat, Kiki Nation, Tutti Frutti, Buddy and others. On the Queer Slovakia website you will also find an overview of events by other organisers.
The queer scene is also dominated by the gay club Apollon, which has nearly reached a legend status thanks to its almost 30-year history. A good opportunity to have a tasty drink and meet LGBTI+ people is also a visit to the bar Papagayo. The lesbian community is welcome during the Freedom Night, which is hosted here roughly once every two months.
The places where LGBTI+ community frequents include bars and clubs Fuga, Radosť, W Café, Urban House, Bukowski, Manifesto, A4, Nová Cvernovka. In addition, you will find Ru!do Coffee & Cocktails in the very center.
Most definitely, the biggest event for the community is the Rainbow PRIDE Bratislava, which will come with a dozens of smaller events during the month of July and will culminate in a parade through the city and the after-party in four clubs in the centre.
Rainbow autumn full of culture and sports
An especially rich programme for the queer community is scheduled for autumn, with a number of big events on offer. The Slovak Queer Film Festival by the organisation Iniciatíva Inakosť has already established a long-term tradition. It is almost a week-long festival showing many films and other accompanying events. It is hosted by Bratislava’s Lumière Cinema, which, by the way, regularly presents queer films throughout the year. As does the Film Europe Cinema.
In Autumn, theatregoers can look forward to the Drama Queer festival. It is organised by the theatre NoMantinels, which deserves following all year round, as it regularly puts on premières of new plays, but also hosts discussions or exhibitions.
From among the popular LGBTI+ events, mention must also be made of the Ball of Shame vogue competition and the transgender culture festival World According to Gabriel. Bratislava also has on its mind the LGBTI+ athletes who are covered by the sports club Lotus Flowers. Training sessions in volleyball, floorball or running take place on a weekly basis. In autumn, the sports club organises the international Lotos Cup tournament, with competitions in several disciplines.
