Queer bars & cafes
- Paradise Palms (41 Lothian St)
Camp, open and LGBTQ+ friendly vegetarian café bar just a few footsteps from the conference venue. A brilliant local queer cabaret called fruit salad (ins: @fruit_salad_edi) happens every Sunday.
2. The Doghouse (18-24 Clerk St)
Very quirky décor, student-friendly pub.
3. Regents bar (2 Montrose Terrace)
A relaxed neighbourhood queer pub that proudly describes itself “straight friendly”.
4. “Pink Triangle”
A triangle-shaped area with local gay bars at the top of Leith Walk, where you could find:
- Planet Bar & Kitchen (6 Baxter’s Place)
Longest running LGBTQ+ bar in the city. Drag DJs perform on Thursdays and Sundays. Showtime Fridays feature local & international drag queens.
- The street
Funky basement nightclub.
Drag
- Trackmondays (Cowgate Subway)
Edinburgh’s largest drag night.
2. Saffron Cherry (ins: saffron.cherry)
A QTPOC community. Fringe queer cabaret – all king show at Paradise Palms (Aug 27). Link: https://ma.to/event/saffron-cherry-27-aug-2026
3. Brocode
Drag king night (Sept 9).
Others
- “At A Very Scottish Time” (@August_21 Coffee House, 89 Causewayside)
An exhibition celebrating Scotland’s queer Asian Diaspora (until Aug 30).
2. Edinburgh LGBTQ+ history tour
3. LGBT Health and Wellbeing (https://lgbthealth.org.uk/whats-on/). Highlights:
- LGBTQ+ basketball (Sep 1).
- Edinburgh Trans Choir (Sep 3) (trans-friendly vocal exercise).
4. Wheels of Fate (24 Haddington Place)
Queer-owned folk arts & witchcraft shop. They offer tarot/astrology reading & workshops about bookbinding, broom-making and spinning.