Within the last ten years or so, Pittsburgh has gone through a renaissance of nightlife and cultural establishments in and around the city. From local dive joints to high-end experiences, Pittsburgh truly has a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy.
When it comes to finding a great local happy hour or party, the queer community of Pittsburgh surely has you covered. Deep dive into the surrounding happy hours and parties that help elevate the Pittsburgh nightlife scene into an inclusive, KIKI-inducing party for all.
Crush Hour
Starting off strong, Crush Hour is a monthly Friday Happy Hour event, specifically for Pittsburgh’s Queer Ladies and Non-Binary individuals. Patrons can expect a relaxed, mixer setup where they can meet people, catch up with friends, and connect with members of the community over drinks. Crush Hour started in 2019 as a women-focused LGBTQ+ happy hour and has since popped up across the city, often teaming up with queer-owned businesses and local makers.
G2H2
Located at a new venue every month, Gay Guy Happy Hour (G2H2) takes place on the second Friday of every month at a different location in Pittsburgh. Hosted by JR, Wayne, Michael, and Daniel, it’s a great way to meet new people and relax with friends in a different atmosphere every month!
G2H2 brings the party to local businesses that open their doors to the LGBT community, as well as providing LGBTQ+ professionals, and our colleagues and friends, the opportunity to meet, network, or just hang out.
Heaven
There isn’t anything quite like heaven (like we’d know), but for the Pittsburgh after-hours party, Heaven, it’s pretty darn close. Hosted the third Saturday of every month, Club Pittsburgh opens its second floor to this trans-centered, after-hours dance party..
With complimentary open bar and clothing-optional freedom, Heaven blends celebration and intimacy in a way that few parties dare to. The result? Something distinctly Pittsburgh: scrappy, inclusive, sensual, and powered by care.
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Hot Mass & Honcho
Pittsburgh’s dance music rager for homos and friends, Hot Mass and Honcho are programmed in the spirit of today’s pioneering parties such as San Francisco’s Honey Soundsystem, London’s Horse Meat Disco and WRECKEDnyc. Providing an environment that sheds inhibitions, Hot Mass/Honcho has revived the queer party as a keystone of dance music culture.
Held on the first Saturday of every month, with in-house resident DJs from Aaron Clark, boo lean & Gusto, Hot Mass is a nightlife cooperative organized by Honcho, Humanaut, Detour, Cold Cuts, and f(x). Location available with advanced tickets only.
Hot Stuff Disco
Were you born in the wrong era? Are you completely obsessed with the 70s and 80s? How about wishing you could strut your stuff through Studio 54?
Have no fear, Hot Stuff Disco is here to save the day. This retro dance party features bangers, anthems, and deep cuts from the 70s and 80s; we’re talking disco, funk, soul, freestyle, and so much more.
Hosted by Twirville, their aim is to create a super groovy time capsule of a dance party inside Brillobox in Bloomfield. Get your dancing clothes ready to groove and sashay the night away.
Jellyfish
Jellyfish is an escape from the outside world, where together in dance and heat we make new worlds where each of us find home. Jellyfish is a queer party for members across the queer and trans spectrum and all allies.
Hosted by Adam Shuck, Ricky Moslen, and Stephanie Tsong, Jellyfish offers a wide array of music and beats, ranging from new wave, italo disco, post-punk, disco, as well as synth-pop. And the music doesn’t stop as the sun comes up, head to their local Sound Cloud account for a never ending playlist of bangers and beats.
Make Out Club
In the modern era, we can’t help but get nostalgic from time to time and yearn for days past. Make Out Club, a modern take on the famed speed-dating model, but with a twist; start your night in a small group for games and discussions. As the night progresses, pair off into a more intimate setting for a one-on-one conversation.
What sets this group apart? Make Out Club honors all types of connections – from romantic, platonic, physical, intellectual and more. So why not log off the dating apps for a night and enjoy a night with the real-life counterpart?
Steel Carabiner
A Lesbian, Dyke & Sapphic appreciation Party, Steel Carabiner is held on the first and third Thursday of every month at Blue Moon in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Featuring local Kings and Queens of drag, Steel Carabiner offers an entertaining spin on classic nightlight for our femme queens. Think killer music, entertainment, and a local dive-bar to end the night on a high note.
SZR
SZR, Sapphic Club Night for the Pittsburgh Queer Ladies, aims to bring queer ladies from all over the region to show that the girls can draw just as much business as the boys.
Hosted by Mostbeautifullest (The MoB), a Pittsburgh-based black, femme, queer nightlife collective, SZR aims to bring a “Dykey Studio 54” vibe to their parties and to foster an environment where members of the queer/femme community can gather and party in a safe space all their own. It’s giving kikis, club culture and cuntiness; QTBIPOC to the front.
Twirl
After being on hold (indefinitely) due to prior venue changes, Twirl is back and better than ever. Now showcased at Bottlerocket Social Hall,
Brought to you by Twirlville, a QBIPOC affirming music + events collective, TWIRL isn’t just a dance party. It’s a tribute to house music, underground dance culture, and its roots. Their function is to give BIPOC, LGBTQ+ individuals, and allies a sacred space for self-expression, freedom of movement, and flamboyance. As for the dance floor? No hate, judgment, and absolutely no BS.