Bardo

Bardo was one of the bars that defined Beirut's LGBTQ+-friendly scene during the city's more open years ? a culturally engaged venue on Rue Gouraud in Gemmayzeh that attracted artists, writers, activists and the LGBTQ+ community without being exclusively gay-identified. The bar represents the particular character of Beirut's queer scene at its best: politically engaged, culturally sophisticated, embedded in the broader alternative arts milieu of the city rather than separated into a LGBTQ+-friendly ghetto. Gemmayzeh, directly adjacent to Mar Mikhael, was less affected by the 2020 explosion than the lower end of Mar Mikhael and has retained more of its pre-crisis character. The bar draws from the community that has remained in Beirut ? a population that has chosen to stay despite everything, and whose resilience gives the venue its particular atmosphere. Verify operating status: the economic crisis has created significant venue instability throughout Beirut.