Gay Guide to Arnhem
The Netherlands became the first country in the world to open marriage to same-sex couples, in 2001. Arnhem, the capital of Gelderland, has a small, friendly scene, and the city brands itself a Regenboogstad, or rainbow city.
When Café Colours on the Jansplein closed after 34 years, an Amsterdam duo stepped in: Café Queers opened on the same square in March 2026, a low-key LGBTQI+ café-bar with a conservatory and terrace that hosts drag and karaoke nights.
Steamworks on Roermondsplein, near the Rhine, is one of the best-known gay saunas in the region, open daily with late weekend hours, and SHOUT, an LGBTQ+ community group, runs events in nearby Wageningen.
In 2027 Arnhem hosts Roze Zaterdag, the national Pink Saturday celebration that moves to a different Dutch city each year. Nijmegen's bars are a short train ride south for a bigger night out.