How to make gay friends in Brighton
The quickest way to make gay friends in Brighton is to join something weekly, like Brighton & Hove Frontrunners or the Rainbow Chorus, and check Switchboard's events page for what's on.
Brighton has a reputation that does a lot of the work. It's long been the most openly queer city in the UK, and St James's Street and Kemptown wear that happily. But a friendly city isn't the same as a city where you have friends, and plenty of people move here on the strength of the reputation and spend the first winter not knowing a soul. Making friends takes the same thing it takes anywhere: showing up to the same thing twice.
Start in the daytime
Brighton's LGBTQ+ community centre, the Ledward Centre, closed in 2025 for refurbishment, and a new team has been working to reopen it. Check its website before you go. Either way, Switchboard's events page is the best place to see what's running this month.
Join the thing that meets every week
Brighton & Hove Frontrunners is an LGBTQ+ running club that genuinely takes beginners. It runs on Wednesday evenings in Hove, and your first three runs are free. If you'd rather sing than run, the Rainbow Chorus is Brighton's long-running LGBT+ choir. There's no audition, but new members join at sessions held in January and September. What it is matters far less than how often it is, so give it six weeks before you decide. Almost nobody feels part of something in week one.
Use the scene for what it's good at
St James's Street on a Friday is good for meeting people. Follow it up with a daytime coffee, and how to make friends in a new city as an adult covers how to ask.
There's a group for exactly where you're at
Switchboard is Brighton's LGBTQ+ charity. Its BOLD project runs coffee meet-ups, a breakfast club, outings and other social events for LGBTQ+ people over 50. Its Rainbow Neighbours service matches LGBTQ+ people who've become isolated with a volunteer for regular visits. If you've only recently come out, or you're new to the city, Switchboard knows what's running right now. Ask them.
Where the community clusters
Kemptown and St James's Street are the historic heart; Hanover and Hove are quieter. But in a city this small, the street matters less than the regulars you come to know — the café you keep going back to does more than the postcode.
Where to start
| Group | What and when | Cost | How to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton & Hove Frontrunners | Wednesday 7pm runs from the seafront by King Alfred Leisure Centre, Hove. Social after the first run of the month | First 3 runs free, then £45 a year | Fill in the Join Us form before your first Wednesday. Walking breaks are fine, and there's a Couch to 5K in January and May |
| Rainbow Chorus | LGBTQ+ choir, Mondays, St George's Church, Kemptown | Ask when you book | No audition, but a short voice placement at new-member sessions in January and September |
| Switchboard BOLD | Coffee mornings, breakfast club, games and a heritage club for LGBTQ+ people 50+ | Not stated | Send the referral form and the team gets in touch |
| Switchboard Rainbow Neighbours | A volunteer matched with you for regular visits, if you've become isolated | Free | Email volunteer@switchboard.org.uk |
| Allsorts Youth Project | Social groups for LGBT+ young people up to 21, with free food | Free | Referral form, then a short welcome meeting |
None of this is fast, and that's normal, not a sign you've landed somewhere cold. If you've just moved, read how to make friends in a new city as an adult alongside this. And if you want a head start, you can make a free friend card here and tell us who you're hoping to meet. Finish it on Among Our People and you'll see who else is looking for friends near you. ✦