Kremlin: Gay Club or Student Hotspot? Are LGBTQ+ Spaces Declining?

By Leonor Graca

As a professional clubber in my hometown, I thought Belfast would expand the diversities I so yearned for. I was told Kremlin, a notoriously gay club, would open my eyes to a new wave of eccentricity, far beyond my hometown experience.

So, I put on my knee-high boots and mini dress, grabbed my girls and got ready to find out: Where are all the gay people? Walking in, my mind marvelled at the variety of entrances to the dancefloors. Stairs, narrow hallways and balconies took me to the nostalgia of Berlin clubs.

However, walking onto the dancefloor led me to a different story. Straight men with skin fades bombarded the stage as girls competed for their spots. Drunk with confidence from the many Pinot Grigios I had, I opened my notes app, selecting a random sample of 20 people to answer my questionnaire.

Questionnaire results

All of my respondents were aware of Kremlin’s association with the LGBTQ community, yet many of these answers were accompanied by an understanding that its LGBTQ+ roots have been disintegrated. Respondents referred to the gay demographic as being “colonised” by straight couples, making it “disheartening” to see. Furthermore, whilst straight male respondents felt safe, female LGBTQ+ respondents answered that they do not feel free to express themselves in Kremlin due to the “homophobic straight men” inside.

The Need for Alternatives

Amongst queer respondents, a desire for alternative spaces was expressed. Two males I questioned agreed, perceiving that it doesn’t “feel like a gay bar”, and it’s just like “any other club.” Many respondents argued that NI has a weak community for the LGBTQ+, highlighting how gay marriage has only been legal here in the last decade.

The next morning, doing my usual hangover routine of sipping electrolytes and doomscrolling, I looked it up. Only in 2020 did same sex marriage become legal in Northern Ireland [1]; Kremlin opened in 1999 [2]. Since its opening, Kremlin has held twenty-one years of repression inside its boxed cabaret, making it a potent symbol of the resistance of Belfast’s LGBTQ+ community. But what did my respondents want? They pointed to a European approach, the safety of expression offered by visits to Paris, or the platter of sexuality found in Berlin. “NI is falling behind,” one respondent told me.

Is LGBTQ+ Representation Declining?

From 2007 to 2024, 71 pubs have closed across Belfast [4]. Some blame the ‘surrender principle’ [3] of liquor licenses for limiting the diversity of nightlife in Belfast, and it’s no secret that rising costs have made it difficult to open new businesses. With a limited choice for nightlife, students naturally gravitate towards the most popular spots. As Kremlin becomes more of a mainstream party scene rather than one of exclusivity, how does a minority within the city survive comfortably?

The Silver Lining

On the Sunday night I visited, the most noticeable difference from the student night was the age of the crowd: gay men were well represented, and many were older, dancing and shamelessly relishing in each other’s company.

Student nights undoubtedly see a less visible expression of LGBTQ+ identity, potentially because many are concerned about discrimination: The Stonewall ‘University Report’ (2018) found that 42% of LGBTQ+ students have hidden their identity at university [5].

It is difficult to denounce Belfast as a place devoid of LGBTQ+ scenes, but does Kremlin really hold the “ultimate gay clubbing experience” which the large poster above the doors once promised? The unisex bathrooms check out, and Kremlin drag nights are still in, suggesting its inclusivity. Yet on student nights, LGBTQ+ expression seemed less visible, and respondents’ accounts were mixed.

If nothing else, the iconic origins of gay clubbing culture remain in other venues, such as the vivacious Boombox and The Maverick on Union Street: Through the lens of my sweaty hair strands, I still see that shameless self-expression worn on the faces of those with drag eyeshadow.

References

[1] Legislation UK Government. “The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020.” Statutory Instruments 2020 No. 742. July 15, 2020. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/742/made

[2] Queer Atlas. “Kremlin (Belfast).” Queer Atlas Venue Guide. https://www.queeratlas.app/belfast/venues/kremlin–1584

[3] Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). “The Surrender Principle.” https://camra.org.uk/take-action/the-surrender-principle

[4] Bain, Mark. Belfast Telegraph. “More Than 500 NI Pubs Have Shut in Last Three Decades.” February 13, 2026. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/more-than-500-ni-pubs-have-shut-in-last-three-decades/a/131301811.html.

[5] Stonewall. (2018). LGBT in Britain – University report (2018). [Online] Available at: https://www.stonewall.org.uk/resources/lgbt-britain-university-report-2018