LGBTQ+ travel guide to Estonia

In June 2023, Estonia became the first country in the Baltics to legalize same-sex marriage. Even though the Estonian LGBTQ scene is still relatively small, Tallinn has several bars and nightclubs with regular events that attract a trendy crowd. As a university town, Tartu also has an LGBTQ-friendly atmosphere.

LGBTQ rights and organizations in Estonia

Estonia's parliament approved a bill to allow same-sex marriage in 2023, making Estonia the first country in the Baltics to legalize marriage between people of the same sex. From January 1, 2024, same-sex couples will be allowed to both marry and adopt children together in Estonia.

Baltic Pride is the largest Pride celebration in the region, and every year hosting honors rotate between one of the three Baltic capitals; Tallinn, Estonia; Riga, Latvia; or Vilnius, Lithuania. The Estonian LGBT Association (Eesti LGBT Ühing) is the official representative of LGBTQ+ citizens in Estonia. The organization focuses on public information campaigns, sex education, and promoting LGBTQ+ rights. The Estonian LGBT Association was founded in October 2008 in the city of Tartu as the non-profit organization Eesti Gei Noored.

Where you'll find Estonia's LGBTQ scene...

... in Tallinn

Estonia's capital, Tallinn, is home to a handful of popular LGBT-friendly nightclubs and bars. Follow the rainbow flag and let us guide you to places with an LGBTQ-friendly crowd! On a weekend break to Tallinn, you can also visit spa hotels, museums, art galleries, and world-class restaurants, many of which are listed in the MICHELIN Guide and the White Guide Nordic.

Sveta Bar - Lively bar and nightclub in Tallinn's Telliskivi district. Concerts, drag shows, and theme nights are held here.
X-Bar - Estonia's oldest gay bar with multiple dance floors and themed nights.
Club Hall - Large techno club with local and international DJs.
Sauna Club 69 – A sauna club with a bar where you can order drinks and snacks.
Hello! Bar - Small, lively gay bar in Tallinn's Old Town.
Bar Hungr - Bar with regular events just outside the center of Tallinn.
Heldeke! Theater Bar - Full entertainment program with burlesque shows, theatre, stand-up comedy, and theme parties.

A visit to Vabamu, the Museum of Freedom and Occupation, is also recommended. From summer 2023, Estonia's LGBT history has been integrated into the permanent exhibition. Experience Estonian history on an interactive journey through time using images and sound.

... in Tartu

The University of Tartu in Estonia's second-largest city is one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe. Many prominent researchers and academics of international renown have studied here. A seventh of Tartu's population is made up of students, researchers, and teachers, which of course contributes to the city's creative, innovative, and open atmosphere.

Bar Lokaal Pirogov is an LGBTQ-friendly bar in the center of Tartu, where both locals and students come together. Also explicitly LGBTQ-friendly is the cult bar Möku along with the connected Genklubi (Genialistide Klubi). Naiiv culture bar is worth mentioning as well — it is now housed on a boat on the Emajõgi, the river running through the city center.

As part of the LGBT community, you will also find a friendly welcome in the other restaurants, clubs, and hotels in Tartu and you can move about freely with your partner. In early October, Tartu and Rakvere both play host to festheart, the first LGBT film festival to be held regularly in the Baltics. Acceptance of "otherness" and minorities is normal for most younger Tartu residents, so don't let the relatively small number of explicitly LGBT-friendly places give you the wrong impression. Many of LGBTQ people living in Tartu do not attach great importance to explicit openness as openness in this city has been natural for some time.