Words by Fopé Ajanaku

There are two types of people in London nightlife. Those who have a Notes app full of parties they swear they are going to attend, and liars.

The beauty of queer nightlife in this city is that there is always something happening, but the problem is that there is almost too much happening. One minute you are standing in a pub in Soho wondering where everyone under 35 has gone, the next you are in a warehouse in Tottenham at 4pm surrounded by the most beautiful dolls, DJs you’ve never heard of and everyone is wearing a wig and dancing like it’s Step Up 2 (specifically the scene at the end in the rain).

So, if you are looking for somewhere to have a gay ol’ time, here is where I would actually be going.

INFERNO

First up, INFERNO is doing something very exciting: taking the rave into daylight.

London's longest-running queer art rave has been running since 2015, built around queer and trans nightlife, performance, art and community. Their next experiment is INFERNO: The Red Summer, taking place at Distillery N17 on 29 August, with another date on 26 September. The August party runs from 3pm to 11pm, which means you can technically start raving before most of your heterosexual friends have finished their brunch.

There is something incredibly liberating about dancing while the sun is
still out.

And I am increasingly convinced that daytime raves are the future. There is something incredibly liberating about dancing while the sun is still out. Feel the sun on your skin or whatever Ms Bedingfield said! You get to arrive with your whole evening ahead of you and, if you have any sense, leave before your body starts asking questions.

INFERNO describes the Red Summer series as intimate, communal and euphoric, with a smaller room and a tighter crowd. There is no announced hierarchy or guest list, and the August event is deliberately keeping its lineup under wraps.

Follow @inferno_london for updates and tickets.

To find out about five more London parties for beautiful, fun, sexy, queer people like you, subscribe to Gay Times Magazine. If you do so in August, you'll get 50% off.