Gay Benidorm

Carrer d'Alacant is the main drag of the village, a short, narrow street lined with bars that spill out onto terraces from early evening. Sensations, Barcode, Betty Boo's, Escape Bar and Jimmy's Bar all sit along it or just off it, close enough that most people drift between three or four in a night. Barcode is next to Mercury, so the two are often visited together.

Carrer de Santa Faç runs parallel and has a slightly later, louder feel. DD's Bar is at number 23, and Kuma sits at the northern end of the street. The two streets are linked by short alleys, so you are never more than a minute or two from the next bar.

Around the edges of the village you will find Klee Kafee, Benidorm's best-known drag cabaret, and Almirante, home of the Diva City show. Company Bar is on Carrer de l'Alcalde Jaume Ferrer Nomdedéu, next to DiscoMar, and Spirit Bar is next to the Casa Don Juan Hotel. Refuel Café Bar is above Parque de Elche on Calle San Pedro, a handy daytime and early-evening stop before the village wakes up.

The village is compact: you can walk its full length in about five minutes. It is quiet in the afternoon, fills up from around 22:00 and is at its busiest between midnight and 03:00, especially at weekends and through the summer.

Drag is the centrepiece of gay Benidorm. Klee Kafee has run drag cabaret in the Old Town for decades, with a tiny stage, a nightly line-up and a crowd that ranges from village regulars to hen parties. Almirante's Diva City is a bigger production with costume changes and ballads, and West End Showbar in the Rincón de Loix runs a Sunday afternoon drag show from 17:00 to 22:00 with entry around €5, which includes a buffet.

Named queens such as Ruby Rox and Levi G also appear in the show bars outside the village, so drag in Benidorm is not confined to the Old Town. Our drag shows guide lists every regular venue and a live "drag tonight" block, and the Tonight section above shows everything on in LGBTQ+ venues right now.

Lounge and terrace bars: Company Bar, Sensations, Betty Boo's, Jimmy's Bar and Refuel Café Bar are relaxed places for a drink and a chat, busiest early in the evening, with music building later on.

Show and cabaret bars: Klee Kafee, Almirante (Diva City), Molino, Brief Encounter, Caspers and West End Showbar programme drag, singers and cabaret on most nights of the season.

Late bars: Barcode, Mercury, Escape Bar, DD's Bar, Spirit Bar, Bar El Papagayo, New Incognito and Bar 69 (gay-friendly) keep going well after midnight, with DJs, dancing and a busier, younger crowd at weekends.

Cruise and bear bars (18+): Bears Bar and Kuma. These are adult venues for over-18s only.

Benidorm Pride takes over the first week of September. The 2026 edition ran from 1 to 6 September, with the parade along the Levante seafront on the Saturday, pool parties through the week and a street party in the gay village. Dates for 2027 are expected in early September. See our Benidorm Pride page for the programme, the parade route and where to stay.

Both have their own pages with the latest dates we have.

Outside the big events, many bars run weekly themed nights, karaoke and quiz nights, and visiting drag acts from the UK. The live listings on this page are the best way to check what is on during your stay.

Benidorm is welcoming throughout, and almost any hotel is fine for LGBTQ+ travellers. For the shortest walk home, stay in the Old Town itself or at the western end of Levante, both within a few minutes of Carrer d'Alacant. The Casa Don Juan Hotel is right by Spirit Bar. Our hotels guide lists options by area.

Getting there: the village is about ten minutes' walk from Calle Gerona and five minutes from the Levante promenade. From the Rincón de Loix it is a 30–40 minute walk or a short taxi ride.

Taxis: there are ranks around the Old Town and along Levante, and you can call one at any hour. See our taxis guide for numbers and fares.

Safety: the village is busy, well lit and friendly. Take normal precautions with phones and wallets late at night, stick to licensed taxis and drink water in the summer heat.

Times on this page are in the Spanish time zone, one hour ahead of the UK, and are listed exactly as venues give them.