Best Gay Nightlife in Palm Springs
Every bar in Palm Springs is a gay bar as far as we're concerned. That's the beauty of a town that caters to the gay experience, so no matter where we go here in Palm Springs, we're free to be who we are without question.
The Arenas district is the gayborhood epicenter of all things Gay Palm Springs. And while there's plenty of fun to be had in the Arenas, there's even more fun to be had all over Palm Springs and Cathedral City (aka Cat City).
That said, even Stefan from SNL is excited about Palm Springs hottest night clubs, so here is the Best Gay Nightlife in Palm Springs in our opinion (in alphabetical order)...
AMP Sports Lounge's comfy Pink velvet benches sports a casual and festive atmosphere (see what I did there?). From sports wear to drag wear, everyone is welcome at AMP in Cat City.
Hosting the world’s most-attended Sunday Beer Bust and popular leather/kink events, Cat City's Barracks wildly popular leather & gear bar is as cruisy and boozy as they come.
Bar Cecil celebrate those who follow the beat to their own drum with an asthetic as creative and inspiring as their food and cocktails.
Winner of Desert Sun's Best Restaurant in 2020, Blackbook is a the real "chill bar" in the Arenas district as far as we're concerned. It's sleek industrial style also features the largest whiskey selection in Palm Springs.
Located in the same space as the original Don the Beachcomber restaurant that opened in 1953, Bootlegger Tiki serves up delicious tiki cocktails in an intimate speakeasy-style setting.
Boozehounds aims to provide a friendly environment for both canines and their humans. By day, they are a coffee, co-working, and lunch spot. By night, they are a perfect happy hour and dinner destination for the whole family.
The coolest (pun fully intended) gay bar and dance club here in Palm Springs, Chill Bar is another staple gay-borhood bar in our beloved Arenas district, featuring drag bingo, go-go boys, and our favotie disco-ball male statues (featured on The Palm Springs Guys website)!
Dead or Alive is an independent local beer and wine bar with an interior space that will have you wondering... "Am I dead or am I alive?" Go see for yourself, and you'll see why the owner Christine is as bad-ass as her wine selections.
The Eagle Bar wants you to cruise heavy, drink up, have a blast, get horny, find a ride, and come back for more. It's right in the Arenas district too.
Hunters is Palm Springs’ go-to gay bar and dance club fun for 20 years now. Featuring the longest happy hour in all the Valley, Hunters serves up drag shows, karaoke, and Djs that keep the dance floor pumping (loudly!) right in the Arenas district.
Formerly Studio One 11, One Eleven Bar has everything you need to enjoy a cocktail with old friends and then a second with new ones. They've got weekly drag shows, karaoke, and live local entertainment (they've even got a grand piano they wheel onto the stage). Always free and always a good time, One Eleven is our favorite bar in Cat City!
Oscar's has everything from dancing to live dinner entertainment in the heart of downtown Palm Springs. From drag brunch, to celebrity evening-with shows, to Oscar's signature T-Dance on Sundays, there's something for every gay!
PS Air Bar is a fun Airline-themed speakeasy inside the Bouschet wine store, featuring cocktails, dinner, naught flight attendants, and live entertainment on the weekends. You know we love a good theme bar!
Honoring the Rat Pack era, Michael Holmes’ Purple Room is the desert’s premier supper club and live performance space, featuring local and national jazz artists and the always popular, The Judy Show!, a parody of the great icons of the 60s.
This is our kind of "sports bar" because Quadz is a TV bar showing popular, classic & obscure music video clips that gay men just LOVE to sing along to in the Arenas district!
With plenty of atmosphere for all patrons “to roost,” the Roost Lounge in Cat City is a another friendly neighborhood gay bar with ongoing entertainment and karaoke.
Open since 1991, Streetbar is a neighborhood bar attracting locals and tourists. They specialize in Cabaret, Karaoke, and the strongest (cash-only) drinks on the block (but you didn't hear it from us)!
The only leather and Levi bar in Palm Springs, the Tool Shed serves up daily happy hours, heavy cruising, and fun theme nights like their signature Thursday night "Underwear Nights" in the Warm Sands district.
Formerly DIGS, Trunks has everything from country dancing to drag shows, Trunks Bar is where the spirits are high and the prices are low.
This mid-century lounge serves up boutique California wines, craft beers, and throwback cocktails. It's also a favorite destination for live music and drag performances, like Ross Mathew's "Dragtastic Bubbly Brunch".
