The Best Gay Bars in Honolulu & Waikiki (2026)

Honolulu's gay scene is small, warm, and wonderfully walkable — a cluster of bars tucked into Waikiki's side streets, an open-air institution that's been pouring mai tais with a Diamond Head view since 1974, and a proper nightclub anchoring the Chinatown arts district. You can reach almost everything on this list barefoot-adjacent, and that's exactly the energy.

Every venue below is live in our database with its own page — details, photos, and what's on tonight.

1. Hula's Bar & Lei Stand

The institution. A fixture of gay Waikiki since 1974 — one of the longest-running LGBTQ+ bars in the islands — Hula's sits on the second floor of the Waikiki Grand Hotel with open-air views of Diamond Head and the Pacific. It's a bar, a grill, and a rite of passage: sunset drinks here after a day at Queen's Surf Beach (directly across the street) is the single most classic gay-Honolulu move there is.

2. Scarlet Honolulu

The nightclub. Hawaii's anchor gay club, in Chinatown across from the Hawaii Theatre — co-founded in 2015 by local entertainment personality Lanai Tabura and Heatherette co-founder Traver Rains. Drag shows, DJs, and the biggest queer dance floor in the islands. Know before you go: Scarlet runs weekends only — Friday and Saturday, 8 PM to 2 AM, with a cover at the door — so plan your club night accordingly.

3. Bacchus Waikiki

The lounge. A second-floor bar on Lewers Street, open since 2013 and built more as a lounge than a club — warm wood bar, leather booths, and an outdoor patio that keeps things at conversation volume. The grown-up room in the Waikiki cluster, and a great first stop.

4. Tapa's Waikiki

The everything room. Open since 2003 on Seaside Avenue, Tapa's packs a pool table, karaoke, and an outdoor lanai into its upstairs footprint. It's the flexible middle of a Waikiki bar crawl — sports crowd early, karaoke crowd late.

5. Wang Chung's Karaoke Bar

The personality. A small gay karaoke bar inside the Stay Hotel on Koa Avenue, named for the '80s song and built almost entirely on the charm of owner Danny Chang. Tiny room, huge heart, and the friendliest mic in Honolulu.

6. In Between Waikiki

The dive. A narrow 21+ karaoke bar tucked into an alley off Lau'ula Street — easy to walk past, two blocks from the beach, and a deliberate dive-bar counterpoint to Waikiki's polished hotel lounges. Cash-friendly drinks, regulars who know each other's songs.

7. Chiko's Tavern

The locals' bar. A gay-friendly neighborhood dive on McCully Street, set back from the resort strip in residential Honolulu — the kind of place where staff and regulars trade first names. Go here to meet the Honolulu that lives here.

Queer-friendly Chinatown

Scarlet anchors the Chinatown arts district, and two crossover rooms round out a downtown night:

• Bar 35 — the neighborhood anchor since 2005, with one of the city's deepest craft beer lists (200+ bottles from 20+ countries).
• Proof Social Club — creative cocktails and a relaxed, artsy crowd.
• The ARTS at Marks Garage — the district's gallery-and-performance hub, regularly hosting queer programming.

Chinatown After Dark

Scarlet Honolulu, Honolulu

Honolulu, Hawaii

Bar 35, Honolulu

Honolulu, Hawaii

Proof Social Club, Honolulu

Honolulu, Hawaii

The ARTS at Marks Garage, Honolulu

Honolulu, Hawaii

The perfect gay Waikiki evening

1. Queen's Surf Beach until the light goes golden
2. Sunset mai tai at Hula's, watching Diamond Head blush
3. Dinner wherever the walk takes you, then Bacchus for a proper cocktail
4. Karaoke roulette: Wang Chung's if you want an audience, In Between if you want a family
5. Friday or Saturday? Ride to Scarlet for the drag show and dance floor (it only opens those two nights)

Frequently asked questions

What is the main gay bar in Honolulu?

Hula's Bar & Lei Stand is the institution — open since 1974 with open-air Diamond Head views — while Scarlet in Chinatown is the anchor nightclub for drag and dancing. Most visitors do both.

Where are the gay bars in Waikiki?

Clustered within a few walkable blocks: Bacchus on Lewers Street, Tapa's on Seaside Avenue, Wang Chung's on Koa Avenue, In Between off Lau'ula Street, and Hula's at the Diamond Head end across from Queen's Surf Beach.

Does Honolulu have a gay beach?

Yes — Queen's Surf Beach, the eastern end of Kuhio Beach near the Kapahulu pier, has been the gathering spot for Honolulu's gay community for decades, directly across from Hula's. Details in our LGBTQ+ guide to Honolulu.

Is there a gay dance club in Honolulu?

Scarlet Honolulu in Chinatown is Hawaii's anchor gay nightclub — drag shows and DJs on Friday and Saturday nights, 8 PM to 2 AM, which are its only operating nights.

Is Waikiki LGBTQ+ friendly?

Deeply. Hawaii's aloha-spirit inclusiveness is real, the state has long recognized Māhū — traditional third-gender identities — as part of its culture, and Waikiki's gay bars, beach scene, and October Pride celebration make it one of the Pacific's most comfortable destinations.

More Honolulu

• LGBTQ+ Guide to Honolulu & Waikiki — beaches, hotels, Pride, and the full trip.
• Honolulu events · all venues — live listings.
• The Best Gay Beaches in the US — more sand worth flying for.