The key addresses in Sao Paulo — verified and regularly updated. Clicking takes you straight to the location page.
ABC Bailão is primarily aimed at a more mature audience; the name stands for 'Amigos Bailam Comigo'. The large, well-ventilated room offers several dance floors, disco classics and Brazilian dance hits such as Forró are played. Men over 50 pay reduced admission. Cruising occurs, but the staff pays attention to a respectful environment.
In the Frei Caneca district near the Paulista is Aloka, one of São Paulo's better-known gay clubs. Several dance floors, well-stocked bars and regular drag shows characterize the business, the audience is predominantly in the 20s and 30s. The music ranges from current hits to retro to underground beats; on weekends it goes until the morning hours.
The Bar Queen is located in the gay district of Largo do Arouche and is emphatically uncomplicated. Go-go boys and drag queens provide entertainment, plus classic bar drinks and a wide selection of music. Because there are numerous other nightclubs all around, the bar is well suited for bar hopping.
In the Barra Funda, the Blue Space is one of the city's popular gay clubs. The club is known for its drag shows with Brazilian 'transformistas', opulent costumes and go-go dancers. The music mixes mainstream beats with performances, drinks are available at the bar, and people dance until the early hours of the morning.
The Bofetada Club is located in the Jardim Paulista district near Frei Caneca and is spread over two floors. There are several bars and dance floors, a restaurant, a karaoke room and darkrooms. Pop, funk and Brazilian electro will be played; Friday and Saturday are particularly well attended. The audience is young and trendy.
BUBU stretches over several floors with various dance floors, sounded by house DJs with tribal beats, clubhouse sounds and disco classics. In the video bar area on the first level, you can chat, higher up you can dance, and there is also a lounge corner and a balustrade. Wednesday and Friday are mainly men, and on Saturdays the lesbian party 'Bubu Só Pra Ela' takes place.
Club Yacht in the Bela Vista district is spread over several floors. On the large dance floor, international DJs spin house, pop and Brazilian rhythms, plus a lounge and bar with cocktails, local beers and spirits. Regular theme parties attract a mixed crowd of locals and tourists.
The Espeto de Bambu on Rua Haddock Lobo in the Cerqueira César district is a meeting place, especially for lesbian women and the queer community. Espetos such as the Kafta skewer, vegetarian and vegan dishes as well as beer, caipirinhas and drinks are served. Live music will provide the atmosphere; the village was founded by two owners who met here.
Located on Avenida Vieira de Carvalho, the Soda Pop Bar is a meeting place for São Paulo's bear community. On busy evenings, the audience shifts to the street. In addition to drinks and small meals, there will be live music and a dance floor; the audience consists of more mature, taller gentlemen. Events are announced via social media.
Located in the Jardim das Bandeiras district, The L Club is a bar-café combo and a meeting place for the lesbian community. DJ sets with funk and house regularly fill the dance floor, accompanied by cocktails and beer. Located in the middle of numerous bars and clubs, the place is a good starting point for the night.
The tunnel in the Bela Vista district is one of the well-known addresses of Brazil's gay party scene. Its labyrinthine layout includes three main rooms, each with its own atmosphere. DJs mix international hits and local rhythms, plus drag shows and several bars. The audience is mixed, the nights are long.
Gay bars in São Paulo are mainly concentrated in the central neighborhood of Consolação, which is generally considered the gay heart of the city. The most important axis is Rua Frei Caneca, half-mockingly called "Gay Caneca" by locals. Around the shopping centre of the same name, bars, cafés and clubs are lined up here. A few steps further on runs Rua Augusta, the second large nightlife mile, where the Eagle Sao Paulo is located in addition to trendy restaurants. On the street corners in the evening, groups stand together, drink, look around, while the hustle and bustle shifts from pub to pub.
The spectrum is broad. There are relaxed pubs for the early evening, drag stages and large dance clubs for the night. Casa Fluida in Rua Bela Cintra is one of the well-known addresses for drag and dance, A Loca on Frei Caneca is one of the established underground clubs with changing party series. One thing you should plan for: In Sao Paulo, the night starts late. Many clubs don't fill up until around one o'clock in the morning, before which it often remains quiet. If you start the evening right, you can start comfortably in a bar on the Frei Caneca and later move on to the clubs. Whether a restaurant suits you depends on whether you're looking for conversation and drinks or dancing the night away. The following addresses give you an overview.