Las Vegas: 9 Not-To-Be-Missed LGBTQ+ Events
Las Vegas is known for its famous Strip, stellar shows featuring A-list performers, and mind-blowing experiences along Fremont Street. In addition to its world-renowned attractions, Las Vegas has mass appeal for LGBTQ+ vacationers because of its inclusive, welcoming vibe that transcends Pride Month. Visitors and locals alike can celebrate Pride year-round with a roster of diverse LGBTQ+ events scheduled throughout the year.
Editor’s Note: Links to specific events are provided for the reader’s convenience; however, you may need to double-check each event’s website for updates on date, cost, and entertainment.
Sin City Classic
When: January 11-14, 2024
More than 10,000 athletes and 2,000 fans and allies converge on Las Vegas for the annual Sin City Classic touted as “the largest annual LGBTQ+ sporting event in the world.” Hosted by The Greater Los Angeles Softball Association (GLASA) in Las Vegas, the multiday sports festival hosts over 500 teams as they compete in 24 different sports, including tennis, pickleball, ice hockey, bridge, cheerleading, esports, volleyball, swimming, and flag football.
For its first year, Sin City Classic welcomed 70 teams with softball as the sole sport. Since 2008, the sports event has grown exponentially and continues to provide an open atmosphere for LGBTQ+ athletes to connect through its most popular sports, and also through social activities held over the course of four days. Sin City Classic is a must-attend event and offers LGBTQ+ visitors yet another way to experience the city.
Discover more about Sin City Classic, including options for hotels and what to expect, here!
The Garage Las Vegas: First Saturdays
When: First Saturday of the Month
Popular bar and tavern, The Garage Las Vegas, located two miles east of the Strip, has a full-service bar, pool tables, dart machine, shuffleboard table, and video poker machines. Plus, it offers drink specials that include $3 off top-shelf liquor on Thursdays and $5 1800 Silver Tequila shots on Sundays. These daily deals run from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., but every day, Happy Hour runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and all drinks are 2-for-1! Year-round, guests can also enjoy the outdoor patio, which has heaters when the weather gets chilly.
The Garage hosts several events throughout the year, including First Saturdays, which features a live DJ playing crowd favorites while guests enjoy drink specials such as $5 Long Island Iced Teas and $4 well drinks.
Indulge in the fun of First Saturdays at The Garage Las Vegas. Click here for more information.
Piranha Nightclub: Latin Caliente
When: Fridays and Saturdays
Frequented by celebrities like Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Lance Bass, and Sam Smith, Piranha Nightclub is a major staple in the LGBTQ+ nightlife in Las Vegas. If you enjoy drag artists, then be prepared to be dazzled by resident entertainers such as LaCherry Wild, Leilani Jackson Ross, and RuPaul’s Drag Race stars, Alexis Mateo and Mirage Amuro!
Piranha Nightclub hosts special theme nights, including Latin Caliente in the Dream Lounge on Fridays and Saturdays, with showtimes starting at 2 a.m. Guests usually don’t pay a cover charge to get in on Mondays through Thursdays, but on the weekends, visitors may have to pay at the door, or they can purchase tickets in advance.
Experience Latin Caliente for yourself by getting all the details here.
Temptation Sundays at Luxor Hotel and Casino
When: Sundays from May to September
When the summer heats up in Las Vegas, it’s the perfect time to cool off and turn up at Las Vegas’ longest-running LGBTQ+ pool party, Temptation Sundays, at Luxor Hotel and Casino. Nightlife impresario and host, Eduardo Cordova, welcomes locals and tourists alike to the inclusive pool party that features refreshing cocktails and DJs who keep the crowd moving every Sunday.
Guests can reserve lounge chairs with umbrellas, daybeds, or luxurious cabanas. Temptation Sundays’ cabanas include admission for up to eight guests, four plush lounge chairs, and a mini fridge for the ultimate experience by the pool. The 21+ event, which starts in May, is open to both hotel and non-hotel guests, but space is usually limited. Advanced reservations are recommended.
Click here for the Temptation Sundays website for more information about the upcoming 2024 season.
Queen Las Vegas: Bottomless Brunch
When: Saturdays and Sundays
If you enjoy fun drag performances, good food, and bottomless cocktails, then consider visiting Queen Las Vegas! It’s the hottest and only destination on the Strip to host its one-of-a-kind weekly event, Bottomless Queen’s Drag Party Brunch. Starting at noon on Saturdays and Sundays, this popular event features a revolving cast of iconic drag artists from RuPaul’s Drag Race, visiting from Miami to LA and everywhere in between!
General admission starts at $65, but guests can purchase a variety of VIP packages, such as the Queen Royale package that includes signature shots upon arrival, premium seating, a brunch entrée per guest, bottle service (choice includes three unlimited mixers), and a bottle of champagne.
Click here for more information about Bottomless Queen’s Drag Party Brunch.
AFAN Black & White Party
When: September
Every year, the LGBTQ+ community and allies come out to support Aid for AIDS Nevada’s Black & White Party on the second Saturday in September. It’s one of AFAN’s largest fundraisers of the year to benefit people living in Southern Nevada affected by HIV/AIDS. For this chic soiree, guests can expect over-the-top fashion, a lineup of entertainment, sample bites from local restaurants and vendors, and much more.
Even though the venue may change from year to year, AFAN hosts a welcome reception from 7-8 p.m. for VIP ticket holders, VIP table groups, sponsors, and guests. In 2023, Ghostbar hosted the reception and Palms Casino Resort hosted the main event which normally runs from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Don your best black and white attire to help out a local charity in Las Vegas! Click here for more information about Aid for AIDS of Nevada.
BigHorn Rodeo
When: September
LGBTQ+ vacationers can plan their Las Vegas getaway in September to include a weekend of bull riding, barrel racing, and team roping at the BigHorn Rodeo at Horseman’s Park. The Nevada Gay Rodeo Association (NGRA) runs the annual two-day event, usually held over the third weekend in September. LGBTQ+ folxs can expect to see a variety of events, including bareback bronco riding, calf roping on foot, and steer riding, where judges score the contestants’ ability and skill as well as the skill of the animals. In addition to traditional events, the annual gay rodeo also has camp events, such as steer and goat decorating competitions, and the Wild Drag Race.
According to the NGRA, the increased popularity of rodeos in the U.S. has resulted in 24 successful BigHorn rodeos since 1996. In fact, it’s one of the largest rodeos on the gay circuit. As a nonprofit organization, NGRA is committed to raising money for charitable organizations in the community.
Let your inner cowboy, cowgirl, or cowperson out! To experience the BigHorn Rodeo, visit the Nevada Gay Rodeo Association’s website for more information.
Las Vegas PRIDE
When: October
Las Vegas PRIDE celebrated its 40th anniversary in October, and we can’t wait to see what it has planned for next year! Attendees heading to Las Vegas PRIDE can expect to see crowds of up to or above 10,000 for the parade and 8,000 for the festival. Unlike other Pride events, this happens in the fall, and it’s usually also scheduled before National Coming Out Day. In 2024, however, Pride will start on Oct. 11.
On the Friday of Pride weekend, the celebration kicks off with the Las Vegas PRIDE Parade, where spectators line up at night along Fourth Street in Downtown Las Vegas to watch a procession of colorful floats. On Saturday, the fun continues with the Las Vegas PRIDE Festival at Craig Ranch Regional Park, located in North Las Vegas. Revelers can enjoy live entertainment and mingle with the local LGBTQ+ community while checking out booths showcasing LGBTQ+ businesses and organizations. For LGBTQ+ families, the festival has a designated kid-friendly area, too.
Click here for more information about Las Vegas PRIDE and other LGBTQ+ events.
Charlie’s Las Vegas
When: Every Night
LGBTQ+ travelers visiting Las Vegas and looking for fun are sure to find a fun party scene at Charlie’s Las Vegas, the city’s premier country gay bar. Even if you’re looking to just grab a drink and mingle with the locals, this is the spot for you! Charlie’s has drink specials every day of the week, including the $10 beer busts at Leather Church on every second Sunday of the month. The legendary LGBTQ+ bar also hosts theme nights such as Wet Wednesdays, Karaoke Night on Thursdays, Lit Fridays (Noche Latina), and Drag Bingo on Saturdays and Sundays,
For more information about hosted theme nights, drink specials, and more, visit Charlie’s Las Vegas website.
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