Cassero has anchored the Italian LGBTQ scene since 1982, housed in a former salt warehouse by the Reno canal, with a tower-room dance floor, a rooftop garden, the Gender Bender festival and house and disco nights that fund the centre's cultural and advocacy work.
Tip: Arcigay tessera required at the door; sign up at the desk or online before. The rooftop dance floor opens in summer and is the seat to get.
Address: Via Don Minzoni 18, 40121 Bologna
Red Club runs the busiest gay floor in Bologna from a Zona Roveri warehouse east of the centre, with a main commercial room, a darker side floor and a summer pool that opens in the warm months for the Tunga party series.
Tip: Zona Roveri sits well outside the centre with no late transit; budget for a cab back. ANDDOS card at the door, bring cash for the membership fee.
Kinki has run a house floor on Via Zamboni since 1975 in the same room that opened as Whisky a go-go in 1958, making it the oldest standing gay club in Bologna with a mixed crowd, resident DJs and international house bookings.
Tip: The room is on the corner of Via Zamboni and Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, two steps from the Two Towers. The floor warms up after 01:00.
Bar't runs a men-only multi-level club on Via Polese a couple of streets from Pratello, with house DJ residencies on Friday and Saturday, themed nights through the week and a cruise area downstairs.
Tip: ANDDOS card at the door; the underwear-only Monday night runs 21:30 to 03:00 with a dress code at the door. Cash works for the membership fee.
Borgo Hi-Fi opened on Christmas Eve 2025 as Bologna's first listening bar, set inside the Borgo delle Erbe arcade of the Mercato delle Erbe with a vinyl-only DJ booth, a tuned Hi-Fi system and a short cocktail and wine list.
Tip: Saturday nights book up; reservations via prenotazioni.borgoerbe@gmail.com. Sunday tardeo runs from afternoon into evening with a softer playlist.
Lab 16 runs a cocktail room and kitchen under the porticoes of Via Zamboni a few doors from the Two Towers, pairing an aperitivo buffet, a small dinner menu and a vinyl-led listening programme that swings between indie, rock and pop.
Tip: Aperitivo from 18:00 includes a buffet with the drink; reserve a table inside if the live programme runs that night. Outside seats fill fast in summer.
Mascarella 22 anchors the south end of the Via Mascarella jazz strip with a small cocktail and gin counter, a vinyl-led soundtrack, an English-speaking bar team and an outdoor stretch that joins the Salotto del Jazz programme in summer.
Tip: The bar serves on the street from June to August during the Salotto del Jazz; book inside in winter. Margarita and spritz lists are the strong end.