One of the world's greatest, truly international cities, London is also the administrative home of BLUF and a great place to visit whether you want to see the historic sites, or explore the gay scene. However, that said, we our only real leather bar, the Backstreet, closed for good in July 2022. We're presently working out where to have our London events.
For many years, The Backstreet was one of the best reasons for leather men to visit London. For 37 years, from 1985 until 2022, it provided an amazing atmosphere. It was a place where people could cruise or just socialise. It didn't charge stupid places, and for many of us, it was where we discovered much about who we really are.
Sadly, all that came to an end in July of 2022, when the building owners refused to renew the lease. So, London now has no leather bar. BLUF - along with other nights that used to take place at The Backstreet - is presently looking for a new location.
Another long established kink store, with a great range of leather, rubber and toys. As with Clone Zone, you'll get a discount if you show your BLUF Card, with an additional 5% on offer on the same day as BLUF London events. Regulation
With branches around the UK, Clone Zone is one of the longest established suppliers of kink gear, and carries products from Mr S Leather and others - plus they give a great discount to BLUF Card holders. Clone Zone
Sat 15 February Leather Cruise is a leather dress-code cruise night that takes place on the third Saturday each month (7pm - midnight) at the Underground Club.
Located in the heart of Kings Cross and a recent Darklands 2024 X-awards finalist for 'Event Concept of the Year', Leather Cruise intends to offer a safe space for Leathermen to socialise, cruise, play, and light their cigars!
The monthly event is entirely community driven through volunteers. Entry is £5 and includes coat/bag check.
Fri 21 February Now in its 2nd year, HUNTER is now recognised worldwide as London's Ultimate Leather & Fetish Event. Hosted by Leather Daddy Brew Hunter (who also created the infamous Sex, Smoke and Submission night, MASTERY at the famous BACKSTREET), HUNTER effortlessly re-creates the vibe and vigour of the classic leather clubs of the Castro and the Meatpacking district. Held at Electrowerkz – London's premier iconic alternative club venue – it's a rammed evening (in every sense of the word) that takes Fetish guests down, deep and dirty.
In the renowned FOREPLAY BAR, providing hardass, thrusting beats is co-host and London's newest and most hardcore Fetish DJ/Promoter - muscled, tattooed and leathered – DJ STEELE. Heavy-playing Leathermen with their bois and slaves mix effortlessly with the raunch and riot of rubberboys and K9s, with a heady dose of tattooed skins and scallies. Here, the Old Guard truly meets the Vanguard of London's fierce and upcoming Fetish Scene, where chains, ropes and floggers are everywhere you look, and BDSM Daddys and their muscleboy submissives are keen to show off and display their skills at the MASTERS CIRCLE amongst enthusiastic onlookers!
Alongside the popular red-light CRUISING TOILETS, the thick smell of cigar smoke wafts into 'BREW'S BAR' (a crowded retro-style Drinking Den) from the outdoor HUNTER CIGAR YARD – the biggest and best in London, where the hardest Cigar DADDYS and their ashtray boys/admirers congregate and smoke out the night.
The intense and large DARK ZONE is fully equipped with cage, sling, FF benches and dungeon furniture.
A popular and welcoming 20.00 start features the FOREPLAY HAPPY HOUR and a MEAT & GREET with Brew Hunter for first-timers and solo flyers, with an ever-changing art and photography XXhibition in the adjacent KINXX GALLERY (the only art space in the world that transforms into a BDSM space)! The HUNTER FETISH ACADEMY at 21.15 features Mastery classes and demos of many varying aspects of Fetish and BDSM, as well as interviews with well-known figures from the Fetish scene. At 22.00, as the bell tolls the hour, the HARDCORE ZONES open their doors for your pain, pleasure and pursuit.
HUNTER guests return time and time again for a truly intense event of male Fetish and action... black shadows, the creak of leather, the shine of black rubber, the smell of thick cigar smoke, the flare of a match in the night; the rattle of a chain, the click of a handcuff, the crack of a whip; grunts, cries, heavy breaths in the dark.... Truly unmissable.
Sun 02 March The London Leather Social is a friendly relaxed event at Comptons. No dress code necessary. Just come along and meet other guys in a relaxed and friendly environment on the first Sunday of each month, from 4pm until closing.
Capacity in the upstairs bar is limited to 80, on a first-come, first-served basis.
More info: BLKaiser (Mr Leather London 2024) (802)
MoreAlthough Londoners often moan about it, for visitors, the public transport system is pretty good. The best way to get around is by tube (underground) or by bus. You need to either get a London Transport Oyster smart card, or have a credit or debit card that works with contactless payments, or a mobile phone you can use for them - buses don't take cash at all, and cash fares on the tube are considerably more expensive. You can pick up an Oyster card at major tube stations or at some airports, and then top it up with money. For visitors, using contactless payment will probably be more convenient - just tap your card or phone on the readers at tube stations or on buses. The system will automatically keep track of all your trips, and once you reach a daily cap - the cost of a day pass for the journeys you've taken - you won't pay any more that day. So, you needn't worry about tracking down a weekend or weekly pass. Bus journeys cost a flat rate, even if you have to change buses. Most visitors don't go outside the two central zones, other than to or from the airport, so your cost per day will be capped at £7.20 (€8.66, $8.94), or £36.10 (€43.40, $44.85) for a week calculated Monday to Sunday.
If you arrive at London Heathrow or London City airports, you can use the public transport network straight away, and it's the cheapest way to get into town. However, Heathrow is some distance from the city, and it can take the best part of an hour on the tube, though it's only £3.10 (€3.73, $3.85) off peak. The Heathrow Express is much faster, but to buy an off peak ticket on the day will cost £22 (€26.45, $27.33) (though it's much cheaper bought in advance).
We don't recommend a taxi from any airport, other than London City, as the cost is likely to be very high, due to the distance. If you arrive at Gatwick, you have a choice of the Gatwick Express for about £20 (€24.04, $24.85), or the slower Southern train at about £12 (€14.43, $14.91). The Stansted Express is around £17 (€20.44, $21.12). All will be cheaper if you buy online in advance.
We can't deny it, London can be an expensive place to stay, and prices can very a lot depending on what's on. We don't have any specifically gay hotels or bed and breakfasts to recommend, but many BLUF members have stayed without problems in the budget Travelodge and Ibis hotel chains. If your main aim is to find somewhere convenient for a visit to Backstreet, we recommend you look towards the east of the city, in the Aldgate area, Docklands or Stratford. From both Aldgate and Stratford, you can easily reach Backstreet by public transport and a taxi back later won't cost too much.
If it's the West End theatres, Soho, and major tourist spots you prefer, it's worth looking for hotels in the Vauxhall area, which is just across the river, and quickly reached on the tube's Victoria Line. It also has some popular gay clubs, and a couple of bars too.