Bournemouth - Guide for Gays, Lesbians and Queers

Almost all of Bournemouth's queer venues are in the Triangle, a small three-sided block on the western edge of the town centre, and on neighbouring Poole Hill. The area has been the town's gay quarter for decades. Many earlier bars, clubs and saunas have since closed, among them The Branksome, The Xchange and Bent.

DYMK at 31 Poole Hill is a bar and club in one, with a heated smoking terrace and DJs in the evening. The name stands for Does Your Mother Know. Pride Bar at 8 The Triangle is an LGBTQ+ community bar with regular drag shows and bingo nights. Flirt Cafe Bar at 21 The Triangle works as a café during the day, serving cakes, waffles and hot food, and as a bar at night. It is open to everyone but has long been a regular meeting point for the community.

For gay and bisexual men, Saunabar at 140 Commercial Road sits on the edge of the Triangle. Facilities include a sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, rest rooms, massage and a licensed bar.

Away from bars, Bourne Free is the main local organisation. The charity, based at Meyrick Park, puts on the Pride festival every July and relies entirely on volunteers. Bournemouth University has LGBTQ+ student societies and staff networks that hold Pride events through the year, and the university joins the parade with its own group.

Because the scene is so compact, an evening can easily be spent walking between venues in the Triangle, and the beach is within walking distance. Bars in the area open and close fairly often, so it is worth checking a venue's own channels before going.