An LGBTQ+ Trip to London: Where to Look for Bubbly, Cheap, and Welcoming Entertainment

London is a sprawling metropolis filled with great ways to spend your time. Unfortunately, being a capital city and a tourist hub, it’s a very expensive place. It can be tricky to find cheap fun on any given day or night out across the greater area. Plus, living on the other side of the Atlantic will already have set a high bar for travel costs.

However, this shouldn’t dissuade you from seeking out those gems that offer the most fun for your time and for relatively little cash in London. Brits love a good bargain, so there are plenty of options if you know where to look. Here, we’ll be exploring the most classic of cost-effective British pastimes and the best of London’s cheap nightlife.

Get the Groundlings Experience

While not the original Globe Theatre that was built by the most famous of British playwrights in 1599, the 1997-opened Shakespeare’s Globe is a faithful modern rendition of the building burned down in 1613. Today, to appease the theatre enthusiasts of London and thousands of tourists, shows are put on multiple times a day.

Prices in the stands for seated viewing range from £25 to £80 ($35-$110), but anyone can also grab a standing ticket. These put you where the “groundlings” once stood, getting right up close to the stage with the common rabble. Standing will cost as little as £5 and as much as £10 ($7-$14), making for a uniquely cheap experience.

Cheeky Calls on Numbered Balls

There are few pastimes that are as quintessentially British as an afternoon at the bingo hall. Indeed, there is bingo in North America, but the experience evolved into something entirely of itself in the UK through the later decades of the 1990s. Cheeky, bubbly, and filled with people looking to have a good laugh, bingo has been resurgent in recent years.

A big part of this is that bingo clubs have long held themselves to high standards while not wavering from their ethos that fun shouldn’t be costly. They still run free special sessions with a full suite of prizes on offer for winners. Other than that, a game of bingo will cost you just £2 ($3) while there’ll also be live music, cash giveaways, competitions, prize draws, scratchcards, celebrities, food, drinks, slots, and much more to enjoy that afternoon!

Shining Lights for the Night

There’s plenty more cost-effective fun to enjoy as the sun sets across the city of London. A popular joint for its array of sparkling events and low prices is The Phoenix. Found on Cavendish Square, it’s filled with bright lights and the hosts always put on a good show. Whether it’s an evening of themed quizzes, live music, or a live game show, they charge as little as £4 ($5.40) for entry.

Later, for a mix of the classic British pub experience with the glistening local cabaret scene, head to Halfway to Heaven. Found near the famed Trafalgar Square, the upstairs is all wooden floors and real ale, while downstairs is where you’ll find the entertainment, from cabaret every night to karaoke and a variety of other live shows.

London’s a pricey place, but with a bit of planning, you can enjoy a whole day and night out cheaply while having oodles of bubbly fun along the way!