Part of the Gay Atlanta Guide — bars, events & things to do.
Friday, July 24, 2026
The circuit parties, afterhours and official events happening across Atlanta Leather Pride in Atlanta — dates, venues and tickets.
Each year, the Atlanta leather community comes together for a weekend that's equal parts contest, party, and homecoming. Atlanta Leather Pride (ALP) 2026 returns to the Atlanta Eagle July 24–26 for a weekend of title contests, gear swaps, BDSM demos, drag performances, and some of the best parties of the year — all centered at one of the South's most iconic leather bars.
Founded in 2010 by titleholders SIR Alan Penrod and Nitro Hankinson, ALP started as a way to give Atlanta a "big kinky leather weekend" — and it's grown into one of the Southeast's premier leather events. Whether you're a seasoned leather person or just curious about the community, ALP is welcoming, educational, and genuinely fun.
ALP is a weekend celebration of leather, kink, and fetish culture organized by Southeast Black and Blue (SEBB). The centerpiece is the Mr, Ms, and Mx Atlanta Eagle title contests — where community members compete to represent the Atlanta Eagle at regional and national leather events. But the weekend is much more than a contest.
Across three days, you'll find gear swaps, BDSM and fetish demonstrations, rope bondage workshops, bootblack services, cigar socials, drag cabaret performances, DJs, a victory party, and a Sunday tea dance. The vibe is celebratory, educational, and inclusive — the Mx title was added in 2024 to ensure gender-nonconforming and nonbinary community members have representation.
The Mr/Ms Atlanta Eagle contest dates back to 1995, making it one of the longest-running leather title contests in the Southeast. ALP weekend wraps all of that history into one event.
Pro Tip
ALP is beginner-friendly. You don't need to own leather or identify as part of the kink community to attend — plenty of people come for the performances, the social events, and the chance to learn something new. Gear is encouraged but never required.
Atlanta Leather Pride is the flagship weekend of Southeast Black and Blue (SEBB) — formally ALP-SEBB, Inc., a Georgia 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has produced kink, leather, and fetish events in Atlanta since 2008. ALP itself launched in 2010, when local leather leaders Alan Penrod and Nitro Hankinson set out to give the Southeast its own big leather weekend anchored at the Atlanta Eagle. What began as a title contest and a few parties has grown into a full weekend with a genuine educational mission at its core.
That mission is what sets ALP apart from a straight bar crawl: SEBB exists to build safe, community-run educational spaces for marginalized communities across the Southeast, and the weekend's daytime demos, workshops, and the title contests all feed that purpose. The Mr, Ms & Mx Atlanta Eagle titleholders it crowns go on to represent the community and raise money for charity through the year — so buying a badge or a party ticket isn't just cover, it funds the nonprofit behind it all.
Friday kicks off ALP weekend with social events designed to get people mingling and set the tone for the weekend ahead. It all happens at the ALP Welcome Night:
Pro Tip
Friday night is the most low-key evening of the weekend — the perfect time to arrive, get your bearings, and meet people before Saturday's main events.
Saturday is the big day. The ALP contests run in the evening, but the daytime is packed with community events that make the whole day worth showing up for.
The Gear Swap & Beer Bust fills the Eagle all afternoon:
The heart of ALP weekend — the Mr, Ms & Mx Atlanta Eagle Contest. Contestants take the stage for a night of community celebration. The format includes interviews (closed, held earlier in the day), on-stage presentations, and speeches about what leather means to them. An ASL interpreter is provided.
The contest is equal parts pageantry and genuine emotion — watching community members step up and speak about identity, belonging, and leadership is the kind of experience that stays with you.
Once the new titleholders are crowned, the ALP Victory Party starts. Guest DJs, dancing, and the energy of a community that just celebrated its own. This is usually the biggest night of the weekend.
Pro Tip
The beer bust on Saturday afternoon ($10–$20) is the best deal of the weekend. Arrive early, browse the gear swap, catch a workshop, and you're already warmed up for the contest at 7.
Explore Atlanta's Leather Scene
Find leather events, bar nights, and community gatherings on Out x Out — updated weekly with Atlanta Eagle programming.
Sunday brings the weekend to a close with daytime social events that are relaxed, communal, and a chance to say goodbye before everyone scatters.
Pro Tip
The Sunday Tea Dance is the hidden gem of ALP weekend. The crowd is smaller, the energy is warm, and you'll have real conversations with people you only waved at on Friday. Don't skip it.
You can't tell the story of Atlanta Leather Pride without the bar it calls home. The Atlanta Eagle has anchored the city's leather scene for decades — and it carries a hard-won place in LGBTQ+ civil-rights history. On the night of September 10, 2009, a SWAT-style Atlanta Police force raided the Eagle without a warrant, forced patrons face-down on the floor, searched them without cause, and hurled slurs; not a single person was charged. The community fought back and won: in Calhoun v. Pennington, backed by Lambda Legal and the Southern Center for Human Rights, patrons secured a $1,025,000 settlement, sweeping reforms to Atlanta police practices, and the disbanding of the department's notorious “Red Dog” unit. It's often likened to a modern Stonewall.
The Eagle endures. It has since moved from its longtime Ponce de Leon Avenue home to a space on Piedmont Avenue, but it remains the beating heart of leather Atlanta — and hosting Leather Pride on its floor every year is part of how that legacy stays alive. When you gear up for ALP, you're stepping straight into that history.
The Atlanta Eagle is ALP's home base, but Midtown has plenty more to explore between events.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
The Atlanta Eagle is on Piedmont Avenue in Piedmont Heights, bordering Midtown. Stay in Midtown for the shortest commute to all ALP events and the surrounding bar scene.
SEBB typically arranges a hotel block for ALP weekend — check sebbevents.org closer to the event for the official hotel partner and group rates.
Airbnb and VRBO have strong options in Midtown, Virginia-Highland, and Piedmont Heights near the Eagle. Filter by Superhosts and read recent reviews for the best experience.
Browse Atlanta hotels on Expedia →
Atlanta Eagle: 1492 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30309
Pro Tip
Don't drive to the Eagle on Saturday night — parking is tight and you'll want to enjoy the victory party without worrying about your car. Take a rideshare from your hotel or from Midtown Station.
Atlanta Leather Pride is a three-day celebration of leather, kink, and fetish culture at the Atlanta Eagle, organized by Southeast Black and Blue (SEBB). The weekend features the Mr, Ms, and Mx Atlanta Eagle title contests, gear swaps, BDSM demonstrations, workshops, drag performances, and parties. It's been running since 2010.
No. Gear is encouraged but never required. You'll see leather, rubber, harnesses, uniforms, and everyday clothes. The community is welcoming to newcomers regardless of what you're wearing. If you're curious about gear, the Saturday gear swap is a great place to browse.
ALP 2026 takes place July 24–26 at the Atlanta Eagle — the Eagle's official save-the-date highlights Friday, July 24 and Saturday, July 25, with the traditional Sunday tea dance closing the weekend. Check sebbevents.org or follow the Atlanta Eagle and SEBB on social media for the full schedule and ticket details as they're announced.
Absolutely. SEBB hosts pre-event Q&A forums (free, "classroom comfortable" dress code) where you can ask questions and learn about what to expect. The workshops are educational, the social events are welcoming, and no one will judge you for being new. Many people attend ALP as their first leather event.
Individual events have varying cover charges. The Saturday beer bust is typically $10–$20. The Friday meet & greet, contest, and tea dance have their own covers. There is no single weekend pass. Check sebbevents.org for specific pricing when tickets go on sale.
They're separate events run by different organizations. ALP (July 24–26, 2026) focuses specifically on the leather and kink community at the Atlanta Eagle, while Atlanta Pride is the city's broader LGBTQ+ celebration held every October at Piedmont Park. Different weekends, different vibes — but both are cornerstones of Atlanta's queer calendar, and plenty of people make a point of hitting both.
Find Leather Events in Atlanta
Check Out x Out for weekly Atlanta Eagle events, beer busts, and community nights — plus the full ALP schedule when it drops.
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