Part of the Gay Portland Guide — bars, events & things to do.
Portland, Oregon
Old Town's high-energy gay dance and video bar.
Badlands is a gay dance and video bar in Old Town Chinatown, opened in 2024 by LGBTQ+ owners in the long-running former Embers Avenue space (1969–2017), reviving a piece of downtown Portland's nightlife history at the same address. The room is built for going out: more than 40 screens running music videos (Top 40, Latin pop, and throwbacks from the '70s through the 2000s) over a new light and sound system, with unisex restrooms throughout. The calendar stays busy with DJ dance nights, drag shows and drag bingo, karaoke, trivia, pool tournaments, and TV viewing parties, so the energy ranges from low-key weeknight to packed weekend floor. It's one of the anchors that has helped pull queer nightlife back toward downtown, and for a visitor it's an easy first stop: central, high-energy, and welcoming to a mixed crowd rather than aimed at one niche.
Have feedback on this description? Let us knowDrag brunches, circuit nights & every party worth knowing in Portland — in your inbox every week.
$128
$290
$122
$189
$59
$79
$79
$119
Experiences powered by Viator
Get the full experience — check in, follow this venue, and connect with the community.
From Darcelle XV's drag shows to the city's gay bars and events, here's your insider guide to LGBTQ+ Portland.
Robbie S.
Where to find drag brunch in Portland — Sunday Funday at Darcelle XV in Old Town, DIVA Drag Brunch at Swan Dive, all-ages weekend brunches at Bar Cala on Alberta, Poison Waters at The Heist, and the one-off brunches coming up.
Robbie S.
Where to see drag shows in Portland — Darcelle XV's Friday and Saturday cabaret in Old Town, Fridays Are A Drag, Woman Crush Wednesdays and Fresh Paint at Badlands, drag bingo and the monthly Black Magic show at CC Slaughters.
Robbie S.
July is Pride's second wave: beach weekends, Bear Week, leather street fairs, and late-summer Prides from San Diego to Portland. Here are the best gay events to plan your July travel around.
Robbie S.June is Pride Month, and the chaos is real. Here are 25+ of the best gay events in June 2026 across North America, organized by week so you can actually plan your travel.
Robbie S.
Your complete guide to every dedicated lesbian and sapphic bar currently operating in the US, mapped by city, with what makes each one worth the trip.
Robbie S.
