Helsinki, the capital city, is known for its vibrant LGBTQ+ scene, with numerous bars, clubs, and events catering to the community. The annual Helsinki Pride festival is a significant event that celebrates diversity and promotes LGBTQ+ rights. Beyond Helsinki, other cities and regions in Finland also offer LGBTQ+ friendly establishments and events.
While Finland generally embraces LGBTQ+ travelers, it’s essential to remember that attitudes may vary among individuals and in different regions. Overall, however, Finland is often considered a safe and welcoming destination for LGBTQ+ travelers and locals alike.
Bars and clubs
Street Pride Bar / Helsinki
Hercules nightclub / Helsinki
Gay nightclub Hercules is at the moment the only gay night club in Helsinki. It opened in new location in 2021 opposite to the central railway station n Citycenter. The club is open every day. The audience is mostly men over 30 years old.
Room Bulevard / Helsinki
The newest gay restaurant Room Bulevard in Helsinki has already become a popular meeting place for LGBTQ people. The interior is modern and casual. In summertime it has a large terrace inside the courtyard. The restaurant boasts a large selection of special wines.
Mann’s Street / Helsinki
Mann’s Street is a gay karaoke bar close to dtm by the street Mannerheimintie. This is a meeting point for middle-aged gay men. The place is filled with Finnish exoticism. You can drop in for a bear already in the afternoon. Absurd and definitely worth experiencing!
Fairytale bar / Helsinki
Fairytale is a traditional gay bar with tinted windows – perhaps the last of its kind in Helsinki. Located slightly further from the city centre in Kallio, Fairytales has a terrace that is always packed when it’s sunny. This small and secluded bar is perfect for secret rendezvous.
Saunas and cruising
There are three places for cruising in Helsinki. Keltainen Ruusu (Yellow Rose) and US Video are close to each other in Kamppi in downtown Helsinki. They both have a large cruising area with separate private rooms, slings and a common area for relaxing. Sauna Vogue is located slightly further away from the city centre. There is a bar, three saunas, one of them steam sauna, cruising area and private rooms.
Keltainen Ruusu sex store and cruising / Helsinki
Keltainen Ruusu is the iconic sex store and meeting point for gay men. It is the largest sex store and cinema in Finland. Gay clubs and restaurants come and go but Keltainen Ruusu stays. Keltainen Ruusu is located in Helsinki downtown, in Kamppi close to the Kamppi Mall and bus terminals. The product range includes both products for making your sex live more exciting and pleasurable but also one of the widest range of Tom of Finland products in Finland. Next to the store you can find the biggest cruising area in Finland: two floors of private cabins, slings, non-stop cinema and a lounge area for relaxing. The price for an all-day ticket is 15 euros. You can visit the cruising area, leave and come back later with the same ticket.
Turku and Tampere
Bar Suxes in Turku and bar Mixei in Tampere
Tampere´s own Mixei is the oldest gay bar in Finland, having first opened its doors in 1990. You’ll find it by the railway station in the city centre. Mixei welcomes all open-minded people over the age of 18, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. The club is on two floors: upstairs is the bar and the dance floor can be found downstairs.
Bar Suxes is the only gay bar in Turku. It is located on Yliopistonkatu just two block away from the market square. The audience is mixed. A bit outside the city center between train and bus station you find XXX Paradise, a sex store for with area for cruising as well.
The Map
Below is the Google map version of the the LGBTQ friendly Finland map. You will find all the members of the We Speak Gay Community in Finland as well as the gay bars and clubs as well as saunas and places for cruising. Click on the icon in the upper left corner to display the list of the companies. When clicking on the icon in the upper right corner you open the map in Google.