All About Heaven London

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London, UK

Club / Indoor / S – 500-2k

City

Pop, Electronic

$$

Live Music, Casual, LGBT

Casual

For unparalleled clubbing experiences, Heaven London stands above the rest as the premier LGBT+ nightlife destination.

Since 1979, Heaven has been a beacon of London’s queer history and culture. Now located in Charing Cross Station cellars right at the heart of the city, this renowned nightclub is ideal spot for all sorts of nocturnal experiences.

Here is everything you need to know about Heaven London.

Heaven is more than a mere nightclub – it’s a piece of queer history 

Born as an antithesis of commercial disco, London’s Heaven nightclub first opened its doors during the winter days of 1979. Inspired by Studio 54’s flamboyant hedonism, founder Jeremy Norman was eager to bring queer culture into the mainstream. 

Back then, the gay clubbing scene mainly translated into overcrowded bars and club owners bribing police to avoid punitive raids. Although Heaven debuted on the nightlife map 12 years after homosexuality was decriminalised, prejudice was still rife. 

Heaven might not have been London’s first queer mecca – but it is commonly known as the one that mattered. Initially named Heaven Under The Arches – thanks to its position beneath two railway arches – jolted London’s clubland with its unapologetic glitz, disco-hungry hedonism and flashy shows. 

In no time, the LGBT+ sanctuary transformed into a thriving oasis in a hostile environment. As the years passed, the London nightclub transcended its pioneering gay club status quo by attracting crowds of all sexual preferences. 

After four decades of shameless glamor, decadent unknown, and queer reverence, it would be an understatement to call Heaven a game changer in London’s gay community. Its undisputed luster still reigns supreme today, as Heaven nightclub not only witnessed history – it also helped steer it. 

The LGBT+ hub found shelter in central London 

Perched behind the Charing Cross station – one of London’s busiest and oldest rail terminals – Heaven nightclub has the accessible location card up its sleeve.

Besides soaking in a Londonish vibe with its neoclassical-meets-baroque decor reflected in architectural masterpieces like The National Gallery, Charing Cross is a bustling hub for historical landmarks. 

Benjamin Franklin’s last-standing former residence, the iconic Trafalgar Square plaza and Nelson’s Column – a granite column paying tribute to the victory over French and Spanish navies during the Battle of Trafalgar – are all housed in the Charing Cross area. 

The central area’s rich history doesn’t stop at museums and 19th-century buildings.

Almost five centuries ago, Charing Cross served as the battleground for Wyatt’s Rebellion‘s last roar. In 1554, a group of rebels tried to overthrow Queen Mary I of England after her accession to the throne. 

Since the early 19th century, the area has been labeled as London’s kilometer zero. In other words, a plaque at Charles I’s statue marks the country’s starting point for distance measurement. You can’t get any more central London than that. 

London’s Heaven is a multifaceted venue 

With a jaw-dropping capacity of 1,600 revelers, Heaven oozes a super-club vibe. Judging from the outside, you wouldn’t ever guess that the industrial and primitive entrance shelters a two-story.

As soon as you pass through the gates of Heaven, a whole discophile world unfolds before your eyes. 

No exaggeration here – Heaven spans across two levels with two massive dance floors, three smaller rooms, and four bars. With high ceilings, hangar-like decor, and towering arches, the legendary nightclub could easily fall into the underground category.

London’s queer nightclub is living proof that heaven is not always about angelic hymns and fluffy clouds. In this case, nirvana is synonymous with impressive ring lights scattered across the ceiling, three Turbosound Floodlight systems and a stage setup that hosts drag shows and live performances. 

Should we also mention that balloons and confetti routinely pour down from the ceiling like it’s a clubbing ritual? We think we’re good. 

Heaven nightclub plays an ungodly amount of iconic throwbacks 

There is no such thing as too many 90s tunes – this is Heaven’s motto for music curation. Head to the main dance floor and your ears will witness an eclectic mix of iconic throwbacks – tells us a better high than hearing your Spice Girls jam – and current chart toppers. 

But Heaven already knows that not everybody is into disco-fuelled anthems. For those whose music taste translates into bullet-hard electronic beats, the upper floor fosters an EDM-soaked music repertoire. 

Iconic clubbing nights that survived time’s test with flying colors, such as Popcorn Mondays, still remain one of London’s lusted-after events.

Primarily known as a queer student night that puts pop and funky house sounds  on a pedestal, Popcorn is one of the busiest clubbing nights in the UK. 

The queer nightclub has no shortage of live music performances either. Striking a good balance between industry names and homegrown talent, Heaven’s stage witnessed a little bit of anything and everything.

Roaring names such as Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, and Dua Lipa are just some of the blue-blooded artists that kept the crowds hyped up at Heaven. 

Pop icon Lady Gaga performed naked on Heaven’s stage 

Back in 2013, pop singer Lady Gaga was making waves in the music industry with her off-the-wall and controversial performances.

During her mother monster days, the American artist was promoting her fresh album ARTPOP with a one-single performance at Heaven nightclub. 

Donning a white frock, Lady Gaga pulled up her dress and flashed midway through her performance.

The rest is history – Gaga fully stripped down in front of the dumbfounded fans, lifted her arms to the sky and walked off as nothing happened.

Heaven nightclub is the birthplace of the ambient house 

A downtempo house music subgenre, ambient house mixes acid music elements with cool beats to create dream-like mixes. With British blood running through its veins, ambient house first saw daylight in the roaring 80s thanks to electronic band The Orb.

The musical duo was widely known for its psychedelic sound. Alex Paterson and Jimmy Cauty broke through the ceiling when they spiced up the after hours with the ambiental subgenre, which was associated with coming down from the drugs. 

Not long before ambient house’s creation, Heaven nightclub was routinely hosting Paul Oakenfold’s acid house events – so it seemed only natural for the queer mecca to add a chill-out counterpart. 

During Heaven’s The Land of Oz clubbing nights, the main room blasted Paul Oakenfold’s psychedelic sounds, while the White Room was all about ambient beats. 

With ABBA beats at its core and a contagious sense of liberation, the Heaven nightclub is more than your average night out. As one of Europe’s queerest and hippiest music-fuelled hubs, the LGBT+ temple tells stories of the gay communities through flamboyant events and disco glamour.