The Allways Lounge on St. Claude is known for its inclusive crowd, but even more renowned is its diverse live entertainment, which on any given night might include a cat circus, drag show, burlesque bingo, or naked karaoke. The drinks are cheap, the crowd is fun, and you can expect the unexpected — anything from a relaxing poetry reading to a roaring comedy show — that, after all, is the best part of New Orleans’s most avant-garde theater. On Saturday, June 24, take in a variety show of epic proportions, complete with drag performances, burlesque, and more.

New Orleans’s ever-evolving, ever-welcoming lesbian dance party pop-up open to all hosts monthly(ish) events at different venues around town. Their Facebook and Instagram have all the details on where they will pop up next and any upcoming events, including Grrlspot’s Pride party on Friday, June 7 at American Townhouse and a multi-level dance party at Cafe Istanbul on Saturday, June 8. Grrlspot, founded in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina as a meet-up for queer women returning to town, is an integral piece of New Orleans’s queer community.

Catch Pridefest at the Phoenix, the beloved corner Marigny bar that gets just the right amount of rowdy — on Saturday, June 8 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a live music and DJ lineup to give any local fest a run for its money. The bar also serves as the kickoff point for the annual Gay Pride Parade, held that Saturday, followed by all night-long celebrations upstairs at the bar — which might just be the highlight of the whole day.

The Country Club in the Bywater has long been an anchor of the gay scene, even if it no longer pegs itself as a gay bar since the restaurant’s renovation and new pool clothing regulation — meaning, it’s no longer optional. Weekend drag brunches might be overrun with bachelorette parties, but at the pool, it’s otherwise the same LGBTQ-friendly scene with the always-prominent rainbow flags and men in cheeky bathing suits. Drag brunches every Saturday and Sunday are a hot ticket.

This one-day festival on Saturday, June 8, celebrates New Orleans’s Black LGBTQ+ community in a big way. Right on the parade route in Armstrong Park, the festival will gather live music performances, DJs, food trucks, art vendors, and more. Admission is free.

A proud anchor of Bourbon Street’s “Fruit Loop,” Café Lafitte in Exile’s claim to fame is that it is the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the country, with the ghosts of past patrons occasionally visiting. It must be a sign of a good time if ghosts return from the afterlife to pay a visit but beware of Mr. Bubbly, who has been known to get grabby and pinch butts. The upstairs bar and balcony hosts weekly events, including karaoke and dance parties, while the downstairs has a welcoming bar with cheap drinks and views of Bourbon Street — ideal for people-watching. The bar hosts the ever-popular “Walking with the Gay Ghosts of New Orleans” all Pride weekend; reserve your spot here.

Good Friends is the Cheers of the New Orleans gay bar scene, where everybody literally knows your name — if not, they will by the end of the night. It’s a neighborhood watering hole with open windows and tables that spill out onto Dauphine Street in the French Quarter, a pool table for a friendly game, good music, and a wrap-around balcony upstairs. The 24-hour spot is reliable no matter the time, just be careful with those separators. 

The Bourbon Pub and Parade — also known as the Pub — has a large downstairs bar, best to catch up with friends, as well as catch a breath between dancing. Don’t expect the big game playing on all their TV screens, because those are there for endless streams of music videos. The Pub is best known for the second-floor club with go-go dancers, karaoke, drags shows, and DJs on any given night. It just depends on what night of the week it is, but Sunday is always the best with guest performers, dancing, and singalongs. 

Crossing Bar, which calls itself “the best gay straight food serving bar in New Orleans,” has been a previous host for Grrlspot dance parties and regular RuPaul’s Drag Race viewing parties, Saints game watch parties, and pop-ups. It’s traditionally a big part of New Orleans Pride celebrations, and this year should be no different — revelers can usually count on the annual Beach Party here.

Located in the Bourbon Orleans Hotel, Napoleon’s Itch is a compact gay bar known for its minty mojitos and old-school soul or jazz soundtrack. On the opposite corner from the Bourbon “O” Bar, the pours are strong, and beyond the traditional, there are seasonal flavored mojitos worth imbibing. At the end of every August, it hosts Southern Decadence’s annual Bourbon Street Extravaganza, a free concert that hosts Grammy-winning artists and more than 20,000 attendees.

The cozy Uptown gay bar is tiny but mighty with daily drink specials, welcoming regulars, and entertaining bartenders. Located in the Touro neighborhood, the bar is far from the French Quarter scene and a welcomed addition to the otherwise more conservative Uptown area. For the month of June, the bar will serve a different drink special every day and host drag shows, trivia, live music, bingo, and more.