VENUE IN FOCUS: HEAVEN, LONDON

LGBTQ+ VENUE IN FOCUS: HEAVEN, LONDON

Charing Cross Station is one of the busiest and oldest rail terminals in London. The hustle and bustle of thousands of businessmen and women pounding the pavements on their commutes every day is a common sight. However, underneath the train tracks lies one of London’s largest and most famous LGBTQ+ venues, Heaven.

Owned by the same company as G-A-Y, Heaven, which opened originally in 1979, has a capacity of over 1,500 and serving as a concert venue as well as a nightclub. Heaven has been a staple for LGBT+ entertainment in the capital for many years and as such, the artists who perform there are usually queer icons. The likes of Madonna, Kylie Minogue and Lady Gaga have strutted their stuff on the boards in Heaven over the years. Many up-andcoming London-based artists, including the pop sensation Dua Lipa, have used the iconic venue as a launchpad for their careers.

The physical appearance of the building is understated. If you didn’t know there was a nightclub under the arches, you wouldn’t guess, due to its basic exterior. One singular silver sign notifies any visitors to the entrance which is located in a passageway underneath Charing Cross station. Once you step inside, however, Heaven is kitted out for a show. With a full lighting rig and a stateof-the-art sound system, you can tell the venue is designed for more than nightclub activities. The stage in the main room is massive and can facilitate live bands, artists and performers during events. The layout for the gigs are multi-tiered, as there are staircases lining the walls leading to balconies that overlook the stage.

As for the nightclub scene, there are all the facilities you would expect from a reputable nightclub. A cloakroom close to the entrance to keep your belongings safe, as well as many bars dotted around the venue. There are also multiple different rooms to enjoy whatever music you most feel like grooving to that night.

Heaven is open Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays as a nightclub with different events each night. Catch the biggest names in the drag world on Thursdays, or boogie the night away with resident DJs on the weekend. Plus, once the night is over (at 5am) you can stumble to the nearest 24 hour McDonalds about 30 seconds from Heaven, before getting on the night bus or, more likely, the first train home.

Overall, Heaven is an outstanding LGBTQ+ venue for London and offers an amazing space for all to dance the night away. If you’re ever looking for a night out in London, Heaven is worth investigating. JACK NASH