Before it became Sidewalk, it used to have floor to ceiling glass panels and was the first bar in the Gay Village to be opened up to street views, challenging people’s attitudes towards gay people at the time. The Birmingham bar was originally a 1930s car showroom before being transformed in 1996 under the name Laurie’s International Club, in time for Birmingham’s first ever gay pride, which took place the following year. Bars SidewalkĪnother Hurst Street favourite to hit up is Sidewalk. Without further ado, here are some of the best places that Birmingham’s Gay Village has to offer. It might not be the biggest of quarters, nestled in between popular areas such as Digbeth, Gas Street Basin and the city centre, but it certainly overpowers them when it comes to vibrancy. The quarter is filled with al fresco coffee shops, late-night pubs, raucous bars and night clubs with drag shows and cabaret. From dumplings to drag, coffee to comedy, it’s never a drab moment in Birmingham’s Gay Village.Ĭentred on buzzing Hurst Street, the Gay Village in Birmingham sure knows how to have a good time- day and night.
