Stockholm

Backdoor is Stockholm’s main large-scale LGBTQ+ nightclub, located in Johanneshov near the arena district. It is built around late hours, multiple bars, and three dance floors, with Fridays leaning pop and throwbacks and Saturdays more house and techno. It is the clearest choice in the city for a full club night rather than bar-hopping.

Mälarpaviljongen is a waterside summer restaurant and bar on Norr Mälarstrand with a clear LGBTQ profile rather than a strictly gay-only crowd. Rainbow flags, a long-standing queer ownership story, and repeated inclusion in queer Stockholm guides make it socially relevant despite its broader audience. It is best understood as a summer terrace fixture rather than a nightlife-first venue.

Patricia is a permanently moored party boat on Söder Mälarstrand that has been part of Stockholm nightlife since the 1980s. It mixes bars, dance floors, karaoke, and outdoor deck space, and remains especially associated with the city’s Sunday gay crowd. Its ship setting makes it one of Stockholm’s more distinctive nightlife venues.

Stockholm’s oldest gay bar is a compact basement venue in Södermalm with a loyal local following. It is known for its intimate scale, inexpensive food, and a soundtrack of pop and older hits. It works well as an early-evening stop before bigger nights elsewhere.

SLM Stockholm is a members-only leather and fetish club for gay and bisexual men in Södermalm. It is volunteer-run, has operated since 1975, and centres on themed nights with dress codes and a distinctly fetish-focused crowd. For travellers interested in Stockholm’s leather scene, it is the city’s key institution.

A central gay bar, restaurant, and nightclub on Kornhamnstorg in Gamla Stan. The venue trades on its long opening hours, hidden garden, and all-in-one format, with DJs later in the week. It is one of the most frequently cited gay venues in Stockholm’s historic centre.