Most Popular Saunas in Brighton
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Brighton's got this reputation that precedes it. England's lgbtq+Q+ capital, they call it, and honestly? They're not exaggerating. The city breathes queer culture in a way that feels effortless. Walk down St James's Street in Kemptown and you'll see what I mean—drag queens heading to work in full glam at 3pm like it's the most normal thing in the world, rainbow flags everywhere, and this energy that just tells you you're somewhere special.
The sauna scene fits right into that vibe. Brighton has two main spots, both with their own personality, and both sitting at the heart of what makes this seaside city such a draw for queer travelers from across Europe and beyond.
The Brighton Sauna sits right in the thick of it all
Located at 75 Grand Parade, The Brighton Sauna is literally a ten-minute walk from Brighton station and pretty much around the corner from the Royal Pavilion. The location alone makes it a winner—you're right in the center of everything. The place markets itself as the largest gay sauna in southeast England, and they're not messing about with that claim. There's a 20-person dry sauna, steam room, jacuzzi that fits 20 guys, 16 private cabins, plus various play areas including a darkroom and cinema room.
What's nice is they're open 24 hours, so whether you're looking to unwind after hitting the clubs at 2am or want a lazy afternoon session, they've got you covered. Free towels, lockers, condoms, lube—all the basics sorted. They've also added a discreet rear entrance if you prefer to keep things low-key coming and going. The crowd tends to get busier in evenings and weekends, especially when the bars let out, which gives it this fun, social atmosphere.
The Boiler Room Sauna over in Hove brings a different flavor
Formerly known as TBS2, The Boiler Room Sauna sits just a few minutes walk from Hove railway station—and it's literally three minutes by train from Brighton station if you can't be bothered to walk. The venue's got a 12-person sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, private cabins, video room, and other play spaces. What makes it stand out is the fully licensed lounge bar serving tea, coffee, water all day free, plus light meals and snacks. There's even a tanning booth if you want to top up before hitting the beach.
The Boiler Room leans into themed nights and special events—think bear nights, fetish events, naked parties. It's got this reputation for being a bit cleaner and more laid-back than some other spots, attracting guys who want that sauna experience but with a more relaxed, social edge to it. The bar area really helps with that; you can actually sit down with a proper drink between sessions, chat with people, catch your breath.
Pride weekend turns the entire city into one massive party
Brighton Pride is arguably the UK's biggest and most popular pride festival, and it completely takes over the city for the first weekend of August. We're talking half a million people descending on Brighton across the weekend. In 2024, the theme was "We Love Because They Can't," shining a light on lgbtq+Q+ folks in countries where they face persecution. For 2025, Mariah Carey is headlining—yes, that Mariah Carey—along with Sugababes, Loreen, Will Young, Fatboy Slim, and a lineup that reads like someone raided the best of British pop.
The Pride Community Parade kicks off Saturday morning at 11am from Hove Lawns, snaking through the city center past the Royal Pavilion and ending at Preston Park. It's this massive carnival of color with over 300 groups marching—charities, community organizations, NHS workers, emergency services, local businesses. The energy is absolutely electric. People line the streets ten deep in places, everyone dressed up, music pumping from sound systems on floats.
After the parade, things split into two main events. Preston Park hosts the Fabuloso Festival—the main ticketed event with all those big-name performers on massive stages. Then there's the Pride Village Party along St James's Street and Marine Parade in Kemptown, which needs a separate ticket but gives you access to all the best gay bars and clubs in one concentrated area. It's basically a street festival with stages, DJs, drag performances, and thousands of people spilling out of venues onto the street.
Kemptown is where it happens year-round
Even outside Pride weekend, Kemptown is the beating heart of Brighton's gay scene. St James's Street runs right through it, and this strip has more lgbtq+Q+ venues packed into a few blocks than most cities have in their entire downtown. Club Revenge is the big name—been crowned the number one lgbtq+Q+ nightclub on the South Coast. Three floors, rooftop terrace with sea views, and it stays open late. Friday and Saturday nights get absolutely rammed.
Legends Bar sits right on the seafront with a terrace that looks out over the water. It's more low-key during the day—literally serves coffee and lunch—then transforms at night into this packed dance venue with their Basement Club downstairs. The general rule locals will tell you: younger crowd goes to Revenge, over-28s head to Legends. Though honestly, everyone ends up everywhere eventually.
The Queens Arms is this bright pink pub that's impossible to miss, known for its spectacular drag shows and cabaret nights. R-Bar does happy hour with 40% off drinks until 8pm every day, plus they've got Pizzaface doing food so you can actually eat something substantial between drinks. Marine Tavern gets packed on Saturday nights—you're literally squeezing through bodies to get to the bar. The Bulldog's been around since 1979 and recently got renovated but kept that traditional gay boozer feel. They do themed nights including leather and fetish events.
Charles Street Tap has this huge heated outdoor terrace and hosts regular cabaret and drag shows. Affinity Bar runs "Lip Sync For Your Life" competitions on Tuesdays and karaoke on Thursdays. The Camelford Arms attracts a slightly older, bear-friendly crowd and has this quirky Moroccan patio out back.
Beyond the main weekend
Pride isn't just one weekend anymore. Proud Cabaret in Kemptown—housed in a 200-year-old Chinoiserie-style ballroom—runs extravagant drag and burlesque shows throughout the year. Their bottomless brunches have become legendary. Ironworks Studios hosts drag, cabaret, live music, stand-up comedy, and has become this important lgbtq+Q+ events space.
Brighton Pride also includes a Pride Dog Show, which is exactly what it sounds like and draws surprisingly huge crowds. There's usually a Pride Campsite for people who want to stay close to the action all weekend. Various supporting events pop up—pool parties, boat parties, after-parties at venues across the city.
The Street Party in 2025 is getting expanded with stages curated by different venues. Revenge, Charles Street, Patterns are all bringing their own music vibe to different areas. There's a Drag Stage featuring stars like Danny Beard, Jaguar, Tayce, and Polyglamorous. The Queens Arms is doing a special Street Party Stage with Sunday night finale. It's basically daytime clubbing on the seafront with an Ibiza terrace vibe.
Practical bits
Both saunas are easy to reach. The Brighton Sauna is walkable from pretty much anywhere in central Brighton. The Boiler Room requires hopping on a train or bus to Hove, but it's genuinely a quick trip—trains leave Brighton station every 15 minutes and take three minutes. During Pride weekend, accommodation gets booked solid months in advance. Kemptown has loads of gay-friendly guesthouses within stumbling distance of all the bars.
The city itself is incredibly compact. You can walk from the station to the beach in fifteen minutes. Most of the gay venues are clustered in Kemptown, which sits just east of Brighton Pier. The Lanes—Brighton's historic shopping quarter—is right in the center with narrow pedestrian streets full of independent shops, cafes, and restaurants.
Brighton attracts queer visitors year-round, not just during Pride. The sauna scene reflects that—there's always going to be guys passing through, whether it's a weekend getaway from London (less than an hour by train) or tourists from Europe hitting the UK gay scene. The mix of beach town relaxation and proper nightlife makes it work. You can spend the day by the sea, hit the sauna late afternoon, grab dinner in Kemptown, then dance until sunrise at Revenge. That combination doesn't really exist anywhere else in the UK quite like it does here.
The overall vibe in Brighton is just... easy. It's gay-friendly without making a big deal about it, which sounds contradictory given how many rainbow flags fly everywhere, but it's true. Straight venues are queer-welcoming, queer venues welcome everyone, and the whole city's been doing this long enough that it feels genuinely integrated rather than forced. The saunas fit into that ecosystem perfectly—they're there when you want them, no fuss, no drama, just good spaces run by people who understand what their community needs.
The Brighton Sauna
