Brussels, A Gay-Friendly Village

Chez BrusselsLife, nous sommes là pour vous aider à découvrir la face multicolore de la capitale de l’Europe. Une promesse de nouvelles expériences et...

Many gays and lesbians live, stay and work in Brussels. The heart of the capital's gay community is to be found in the area around the Grand Place, Rue du Marché au Charbon and Plattesteen! These three streets are indeed called rainbow and they accommodate most of the gay venues in a setting consisting of time-worn paving stones and remarkable buildings.

Time to eat

After a stroll around the Grand Place, what could be better than a bite to eat, and there's no shortage of gay-friendly restaurants to hand. Rue du Marché au Charbon abounds with restaurants ready to welcome you. Il Bacaro, Kika, Fornostar... Make your choice !  At chez Mam Mam it is a change of scene for your taste buds that awaits you in this kitsch Thai restaurant. At BrusselsLife, the name of this restaurant unquestionably makes us think of the Chez Maman drag cabaret, required point of passage for any self-respecting Brussels gay.

Gay shopping

Ready-to-wear and accessory shops line the streets of the district and are easy to locate thanks to their proudly sported rainbow flags as in 2BE and Boris Boy. For naughty accessories of every kind, go to the Lady Paname love shop. 

Program Relaxation

After a long day in our gay-friendly capital, you will want nothing but relaxation and heat! No problem, head for the sauna. Ideal for eliminating fatigue, stress and toxins. Macho Sauna, Belgium's largest gay sauna, has quickly found its place among gays as a'' must''establishment. In the upper part of the city, you can find Club 3000, an area of more than 800 square metres offering various high quality services: sauna, massage, Jacuzzi. If you are beset by inveterate shyness, you might prefer l'Oasis ...

Events and parties

The Belgian Lesbian and Gay Pride parades each year on the centre's boulevards in May, with the full support of the city authorities. The latter have also installed a sculpture in honour of the homosexual community in the middle of the gay district: "Ma Mythologie Gay" by Jean-François Octave. Let's also mention le festival Gay et Lesbiens, which attract a cinema-loving same-sex public.

Festive Brussels has so much to offer its rainbow visitors! And the thousands of European gays meeting each month to enjoy the frenetic rhythms of the famous La Démence evening will agree with us. The event take place once month mostly on Friday at Fuse night club. Do you want more ? The You organizes every Sunday the most gay friendly parties in Brussels. 

Looking fo a nice bar ? Try the Boysboudoir with its lounge atmosphere and its trendy decoration. The Fontainas, the Duquesnoy, the Belgica, the oldest one La réserve and many others, will welcome you all year round in a festive, cordial spirit.

Finally, Belgium has enacted pioneering laws in relation to same-sex marriage and adoption. A further attraction for our capital which is, beyond all doubt, gay-friendly. Charlotte Neyret