Ravintola Kerubi

Kerubi is a well-known restaurant, concert and club venue on the Ilosaari islet in central Joensuu, beside the Pielisjoki river. It is a mainstream cultural venue rather than a dedicated gay bar, but it has become the home of the city's biggest queer night of the year. Each spring Kerubi hosts the official afterparty of North Karelia Pride (Pohjois-Karjala Pride) - the "Queer Joy" party, complete with drag performances and DJs. Outside Pride week it runs gigs, club nights and dining. For LGBTQ+ travellers it is the single venue most consistently tied to Joensuu's queer community events, so it is worth checking its programme at kerubi.fi around Pride in May.