Boundary-blurring, alternative, and expressive; that’s the London drag scene according to one of its staple acts, Taylor Trash. Here’s her essential guide to London—drag scene and all.
LessLondon’s Pride parade is one of the major LQBTQ+ events of the year, and the main events take place in Soho on Old Compton Street and Trafalgar Square, where there’s a main stage. However, Taylor recommends “checking out the parade and Soho for a few hours, then slinking off to the outskirt events where it’s not so overpriced and busy. East London and South have some fab places.”
The Royal Vauxhall Tavern is another must-visit. Since the 1980s (or as they say, “since before Kylie was born”), this institution has hosted a veritable variety of LGBTQ+ events with names almost as fabulous as the acts themselves—we’re talking Star Wars–themed May the Fierce Be With You and BEEFMINCE. Taylor’s favorite RVT events are Bar Wotever (“a fantastic cabaret for a variety of queer acts”), and Not Another Drag Competition, hosted by Me the drag queen.
Taylor also recommends the Buff Bingo Brunch in Salsa! Soho—“I’m there with Herr the Queen and our gorgeous butlers in the buff,” says Taylor—where you’ll be waited on by, as mentioned, butlers in the buff.
Towards the end of June each year, the Two Brewers (another iconic LGBTQ+ venue in Clapham, South London) also hosts a street party that attracts LGBTQ+ people from all corners of the capital.
Another top Taylor pick is the Admiral Duncan, which she describes as “an iconic Soho pub with shows every night of the week from fabulous queens like Martha D’Arthur, Wilma Ballsdrop, and my good sis Saffron Slayter.” Expect live vocals, comedy, audience participation and what most would consider old school drag.
Then there’s the East London stalwart of Dalston Superstore, which hosts a drag brunch every Saturday and Sunday.
She also loves Zodiac Bar in Camden, “which is run by some fabulous and fierce trans women.”
If you’ve got time between shows, pop into Gay’s the Word, the UK’s oldest LGBTQ+ bookshop—check the website to see if you can catch one of the talks or panel events that the shop hosts on a regular basis.
You can also delve deeper into the UK’s LQBTQ+ history at the Queer Britain Museum in Kings Cross, which exhibits photographs and art that traces queer history. Be sure to pose for a photo beside the Oscar Wilde statue opposite Charing Cross station, too.