I came here for the first time for a dog rescue benefit- a doggie drag show. It was so much fun! I'm not super familiar with that part of town but it was easy to find and I even found free parking behind the building- a rare treasure in Nashville. read more

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I absolutely love it! everyone is always so friendly like you could just walk up to anybody and join their conversation and they'll just have you and before you know it at the end of the night you know two new people and y'all are besties! read more

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Play is that girl. If you're looking for a guaranteed fun night in Nashville, this gay club delivers every single time. There are multiple zones to vibe in--a full-on dance floor with a DJ spinning top 40/house with music videos showing on the screen, and a separate drag show space that's honestly worth the cover alone. The queens eat. Pro tip: ***bring cash*** The cover is cash-only and you'll definitely want to tip the performers (because if you're not tipping, why are you even here?) It gets packed late, so make this your final stop of the night when you're fully ready to let loose. And fair warning--it's 18+, so the crowd can skew young depending on the night. But overall, the energy is electric. Good music, chaotic-good crowd, iconic drag. If you're in Nashville and you skip Play? That's on you. read more

While visiting Play Louisville we found out there was a Play Nashville and made it a point to stop. This location at first seemed a little low key but we got there early. Things would up as the note went along. People were so friendly and approachable. Performers were energetic and so entertaining. Bartenders were friendly and kept the drinks flowing. Although smaller than Louisville, performers made an effort to work the stage and room. There is a dance area and n the next room while further down another bar called Tribes. Love this place. read more

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Sol Keim Great times here at a Nashville gay bar. Cover was too expensive but that's just my poorsonal opinion read more

Play - Sol Keim - Gay Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I always have a great time when I go to Play. Great vibes, great people, the best bartenders, and always the most entertaining show in Nashville. read more

I'm taking this down to 2 stars because of the consistent cover charges in cash. There doesn't need to be a cover charge if nothing special is happening, and even then, you're there to give $ for queens or the bar or whatever other event you might be at. To me, any business that ONLY takes cash, especially in this capacity, is doing it as a cash grab and to avoid taxes. They'll pay for an atm machine but not credit card fees... sketchy. Not worth going back, which is sad because I'd love to be able to do their Latin nights but I'll go to the other venues. read more

This bar takes real IDs even after the scanner confirms that they are government issued. They also do not like young people or big groups. Apparently they only accept ugly people and the cover fee is outrageous. They also kept my ID and refused to return it until I called the police. The manager is extremely rude and got in my face when I asked for my REAL id back. Very disappointed. read more

I just witnessed something insane. The bar staff took a real ID that scanned in their system as 21+ and then flat-out refused to give it back. The group begged the staff to give the ID back and offered to show additional identification (not necessary since the ID scanned), but instead of handing it like professionals, the security officer was screaming at the entire group to get against the wall as if they were criminals. The whole scene was embarrassing and over the top. It honestly just put me off for the rest of the night. I didn't feel comfortable supporting the overpriced covers and drinks after that. read more

Play - Gay Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Friends invited me to the gay bar and I was on it! Pretty sure the scene is slim in Nashville but we had fun closing it down here. The drinks were good and the music was great. It smelled clean, like bleach when we walked in which I don't mind. Lol the bathrooms were clean and it was a good time for all! read more

Play - Gay Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Great venue and all - it's THE gay bar of Nashville BUT the staff took half an hour to tell my friend and I that their tablet system had false-flagged her ID. When we tried to suggest it might be a computer error because it's a government REAL ID that was JUST scanned an hour ago for beer at Kroger, staff called her a bitch because heaven forbid computers have errors. I've been to Play before a couple times, and I get they're trying to come from the perspective that it IS fake but it's not cool to call people bitches because your computer can't validify a federally-qualified REAL ID. Internet says REAL IDs MIGHT have issues being recognized by old software BUT that doesn't make them fake OR cause for staff to escalate, raise their voice, and call people bitches. Happy Pride! UPDATE: Exact same ID got scanned and accepted at Printer's Alley an hour later, so it's definitely Play Dance's equipment. read more

Great spacious place for the community with amazing service from the staff. Always a good time and more to come!

This is the main gay Dance Club in Nashville just off Broadway adjacent to Deja Vu Strip Club. The venue in itself isnt so bad but one of the dumbest i hae ever encountered in my whole existence of clubbing all around the world is that in this club, they'll scan your ID upon entering and your age will pop and show from the machine which i find absolutely mortifying. I dont know anyone who want their age shown for everyone in line to see when they're entering a club. It's literally the dumbest thing ive ever seen. The DJ's are mostly horrible so you have to roll the dice, you can easily tell that their DJ have never been to places like Miami where it's a dance club Mecca and music is soooo good. The drag shows are mediocre and nothing special whatsoever, unlike drag shows in Miami are beyond amazing. read more

Horrible. Seriously do not go here. The most rude, aggressive staff I have ever met at any bar EVER, and I've been to a lot of bars. Insanely overpriced for the skid-mark of an establishment this is on top of the already detestable service and environment. I am begging to take your business literally anywhere else, for your own well-being and the well-being of others. Protect queer spaces, but is this space really worth protecting? I think not read more

Absolutely disgusting employees. Never come here. They took my boyfriend's REAL ID and when we told them to call the police to check they gave us the ID back and told us to leave. Incredibly rude staff, zero respect for the clientele, avoid at all costs. I'm still shocked at this experience. Wow. read more

Play Nashville in Nashville Tennessee. Play Nashville is a night club in downtown Nashville. The location is ten minutes away from the famous Boardway of Nashville. This is a LGBTQIA+ club but the club also is for anyone that just want to have a good time and enjoy their self's. They are with welcome arms to the whole community. As you walk into Play Nashville, You go to the left. You have someone checking your ID's. You can be 18 years and older for this club. 18 through 20 gets a wristband and a big X on their hands and 21+ just get a wristband and available to drink alcohol. After you get your wristband, you walk to the cashier and the cost for Saturday June 18, 2023 was $15.00 cover fee to enter the club. I paid for two people so it was $30.00 for me which isn't bad at all. The place is cash only! They do have ATM's in the lobby. After paying, you have two options, you can go left the night club or you can go right to the drag show stage. Both rooms has full size bars in them. So you don't have to go far to get a drink. You can navigate easily through the club. It's literally just a big cycle. So you shouldn't get lost. The nightclub is actually pretty big. I wasn't expecting the night club being that big. You have your bar on the left and your Dj on the right. I liked how there was seats on the side that is high up so if you want to stay away from then crowds then you can just sit back and relax or just talk to people and enjoying a drink but the nightclub was just a club in the end. Really nothing special about it. You can see there was way too many 18 years old through 20 years old in the club which is fine to me. I just want to let everyone know that it's more of a younger crowd. The drinks was so cheap! Like literally they was about seven to eight bucks each. We are from Washington DC and the same drinks we would've got in DC. The cost for one would be $18.00 each. We was so surprised. Trust me, we definitely to an advantage of those prices. Best prices I seen in a while! Now I do want to talk about this. The drink I get is called liquid marijuana. I did see how the bartender make it. They made the drink differently than the drink is made. I don't know if it's just how Play Nashville makes the drink but it's different. I didn't get drunk after 4-5 of the liquid marijuanas drinks which is good but it was disappointing I didn't drunk like my friends did and I only drink those drinks because I don't like tasting the alcohol and love when it alcohol sneaks up on you. I haven't drink anything since awhile. Don't get me wrong though the drink was delicious! The drag show area. Now, I am from Louisville Kentucky and Play Nashville is the sister location of Play Louisville and I hate comparing the two because you want different experiences from different locations but I was hoping for the same experience for the drag show. The show was amazing!!! The girls did a hell of a job. They was beautiful and slaying away that stage but I am talking about the stage size mainly and how small the stage is compared to Play Louisville size. When I walk into the drag show room and saw the stage. I was thought to myself on how small that stage was and the room of the area. The booths even looks small. I was very surprised about it. I loved how Play Louisville drag area has space and big enough to enjoy the show but unfortunately Play Nashville I didn't get the same experience and felt squished with all the people around the stage. They do have tables and booths like I mentioned in my previous comment above but those are reserved during busy nights. I just hope maybe they can accommodate that in the future because small stages to me just don't give the girls freedom for them to experience their drag but that's just my opinion. It's like Play Louisville nightclub is small and Play Nashville is big while the drag show area is small and the Play Louisville is big. Very interesting to me. The staff was amazing. They was so nice and helpful. The guy at the cashier was so kind. He asked us if the we been to Play Nashville before and we said "no" and then told us about the place and where to go during our visit. They all had a smile on their faces and look like they enjoy their jobs. The place is clean from what I saw during our visit but you do see drinks on the floor which is normal with drunk people around. I didn't get to see the bathrooms. So I couldn't say if they was clean or not. There is no food at Play Nashville but they do advertise the business right next do. As long you got a your wristband. There is a re-entry to Play Nashville. So you can go get food next door and come back after you are finished. That is something I loved about it. Get food during a good time is a plus! We do recommend Play Nashville! It's a great club for any kind of fun. We had good time during our visit and can't wait to go back the future. Overall 4.7/5 read more

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The music is terrible with no beat. The drag queens are amazing, but they can't carry the dance floor. The DJs won't even take requests for tips. Don't come here if you want to dance. read more

Howdy folks. How's everyone doing on this fine Monday evening? Or maybe Tuesday by the time you read this. Either way, Nasty Nathanial here and it's time for another one of my "Nasty" reviews. Right now I am going to be taking all of you Yelpers to Music City USA. I'm talking about Nashville, Tennessee. So strap on your seat belts, or something else(wink, wink), and let's blast off to a gay bar called Play. Ok I was in Nashville visiting my friend, and fellow 1st Amendment Activist Silent Citizen. Now even though he's straight, he wanted to show his gay friend, which is me, the gay scene in Nashville. And thanks to the magic of Google, we ended up at Play. Actually, we were headed to another gay bar called Tribe. But walking past Play my friend, who suddenly became an expert on Nashville gay bars, thought that Play would be a better choice. Hmmmmmmm? So Play it was. Walking inside we came upon two gentlemen at a booth who informed us both that there was a $5 cover charge to get inside. WTF! I'm sorry but cover charges really annoy the s*** out of me. I mean these bars are already charging an arm and a leg for drinks. But apparently that isn't good enough and they feel the need to step it up by charging a cover charge. I say it's nonsense. But what could this gay boy do? Go someplace else is what I should've done. But for whatever reason my friend really wanted to check this place out and so he gladly paid the b.s. cover charge. Strike 1 there. Once we got inside I noticed that this was a decent sized bar. Actually, it was more like a venue. There was a drag show going on which was kind of groovy. Drag shows can be fun to watch. However, only about half the place was filled. If even half at all. I remember going to drag shows at Hula's in Waikiki and the place would be packed. Why so few people here? I think I have an idea. So my friend and I order our drinks, two margaritas on the rocks. For those of you who know my reviews well will know that this is my drink of choice. But Play's margaritas would fall short of any expectations I had. This where strike 2 comes into play. More like strikes 2 and 3. For one, our margaritas were served in small plastic cups. WTF! Why do so many bars nowadayz think they can get away with this crap. Especially when they're charging the kind of prices they are. In this case they were $10. Jeez. Not only were the margaritas served in plastic cups and overpriced, they didn't even taste that good. I might as well of been drinking lemonade. That's how weak this margarita was. This definitely didn't taste anything like Gabe's margarita back at The Pumping Station in Memphis. One thing I did kind of dig about this place was they had a groovey outdoor patio area where people could go chill with their drinks. Or in Silent Citizen's case, have him a puff. This is probably the only reason why I'm not giving this place 1 star. But it didn't really make up for the lack of everything else that had failed at this place. Speaking of the patio area, it was here that my friend attempted to chat with some of the performers that we had watched earlier. That's the thing about Silent Citizen. He'll attempt to make friends with just about anyone. But these girls we'd just seen minutes before were kind of snooty. It's almost as if they had the whole "talk to the hand" thing going on. That or maybe they don't like this place either. Either way, they're attitudes helped to further kill the vibe of this place, not that the lame cover charge hadn't already done that. All in all I'm going to say that this placed sucked. It really did. The sad thing is this place has the potential to be a really groovy gay hang out spot for Nashville. But apparently the management here doesn't seem to give a hoot about keeping long term loyal customers. Instead they only seem interested in a quick cash grab. This is probably why this place probably won't be around for very much longer. I know I won't be back. The next time I'm in Nashville I think I'll go "Play" at Peckers instead. Until next time, may the margaritas be with you. That is unless they are served in plastic cups and cost $10. Happy trails. NASTY NATHANIAL read more

Play - Enjoying the show at Play. Or trying to. #playnashville #nastynathanial #gaynashville - Gay Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

This dance club is nothing but a cash grab. Overpriced covers, overpriced drinks, unfriendly bartenders, overzealous security, mediocre drag. Don't waste your money. The East Nashville bars and Trax are way better in every way. read more

Absolutely terrible experience. As a queer person visiting a red state from out of town, we were looking for a queer friendly place to visit. Play was anything OTHER than that. They treated us (a group of queer athletes patronizing from out of town) SO POORLY. The "security guard" was caustic, condescending, and aggressive. They were only in it to collect covers. They did not honor an agreement with a local queer sports league and threatened to call security when we simply asked them to honor the agreement published on the website. Queer spaces should NOT prioritize profit over community. We took our QUEER money elsewhere because they weren't going to get a CENT from us after how we were treated. Shame on Play for treating queer people this way. Never again. read more

Okay, two stars is hella generous and I feel bad giving two stars, but I'm being honest and true to my experience. I arrived around 845pm, the show starts at 9. There was a $15 cover, which is a little steep, but hey that just means their show is going to be AWESOME right?!? The space is nice and open, not a lot of seating, more standing room then seats, and the few tables there were in front were reserve only seating. I found a seat and waited patiently. The show started and the opening was a video of the main cast singing the classic drag opener. Definitely getting in the mood, ready to go. Rules: 1. Screaming/Cheering is a MUST! 2. Tipping, YES PLEASE! (Disclaimer: can only give tips by hand and place in Queens hand ONLY) 3. Forgot the rest. HAVE FUN! The first queen comes out and sings a country song and walks back and forth on the stage. Okay, that was a little disappointing. Second queen walks out, sings a country song, walks back and forth on stage. Okay, they are just warming up...I think. Third, fourth, fifth, sixth queen in a row comes out in state, sings a country song, walks back and forth on stage and exits. I have to say the Minnesota Queens I've seen would make the Nashville Queens I've seen tonight look pathetic(sorry not sorry-for a $15 cover). None of them did anything other then walk back and forth and sing songs. Mostly country. No death drops, no splits, no back bends and no dropping it low. Nothing. Two rounds of disappointment....it is now 1015pm. A queen comes out and says "Thank you, that was our show, either mingle, check out the other dance floors and stick around for the 11pm show or have a good night thanks for coming out!" IM SORRY...WHAT?!? $15 for that?!? I'm glad I didn't buy a drink. I was about to at one point, but overheard a lady in another group complain about how 1 shot of fireball was $8 and it was the smallest shot she has ever had. I had the Nashville Drag experience, and I will just stick to Minnesota Drag! Minnesota Queens clearly know what they are doing and how to properly entertain!! read more

Play - Bar and staging area - Gay Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

You wanna have fun? You wanna feel welcomed? Do you?! Perfect place for great drinks and lovely people with entertainment that'll blow your socks off. Love it here. Always. read more

I had heard of this place a ton since college. I had never been, but always heard it was a blast. The opportunity arose once planning the surprise birthday of a friend. I was a little skeptical about going, but it wasn't my birthday so we went. We rented a booth for our group. Even better, we dressed for the theme of the night and got in free. The shows were a blast and boy did they have the moves. I seriously had a blast with our group. Music and vibe was on point. As the night progressed the place got crowded. Even better there's a dance room for intermission. read more

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Good drinks great night club. We had blast here the dancer floor was packed and the music was really good. They also had a grate drag show we watched about 7 queens perform and they were all good. The place is really large and well lit. They do have cover a charge and you must pay in cash so bring cash with you. It's great spot for a night out will go back. read more

Play - Gay Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Play is a gay bar with drag queen performances and fun music to dance to. A couple of friends were in town and they wanted to come here. I ended up having so much fun here. There is a cover at the door but I didn't mind considering that it was a fun show. The queens did a great job and they certainly worked the crowd very well. Drinks were pretty good and the bartenders provided good service in spite of it being completely packed when we came. The venue is pretty large and I was shocked at what a big crowd there was. Overall the atmosphere is very welcoming and the people are friendly. I recommend it! read more

Eh. Have been here numerous times. Tonight, a bartender told me that "I should tip better if I want stronger drinks" after a tipped minimally because I was using my friend's card buying a drink for her because she was occupied. I wasn't going to tip 25%+ on a card that wasn't mine. The rest of the bar tenders were nice, though, and the drag was good. read more

This place was amazing! Took my 18 year old daughter for the first time to her first club. Everyone so nice. We did get there super early so we could get a table up front for the drag Queen show. It started at nine I would say get there about 8 and free parking off 18th and state street. We had an absolute blast and able to support my daughter. Since we parked downtown and that cost $25 we parked in front of the Gardner school. It as few blocks down from the club. They have fun heavy drinks too even though I'm not in the party scene. read more

Play - Perplexity - Gay Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Wanna play? Then come to Play! Play is a great place where they offer awesome drag shows, strong drinks, and a great crowd to mingle with! I had a great time with my friend visiting here. We watched a drag queen and drag king show that lasted about an hour. Quality truly exists here, and to get in is really cheap - only $5 on the night we came. If you are under 21, admission is $10. I am sure the pricing varies when there is a special guest, but $5 for the pure entertainment we encountered was more than worth the money spent. A couple of suggestions if attending a drag show - bring dollar bills. It is just like going to the strip club sans losing the clothes. Tips are appreciated and are encouraged. The second part of my suggestion is come with an open-mind. Nashville is slowly progressively opening up more and more. Play is perfect to encourage that openness. If you want a fun date night and want to mix things up a bit - Play is the perfect chance to do that. The performers are fun and engaging with their audience. This was my first time to see a drag king. What's a drag king? A woman dressed as a man. I loved it. His act was a lot of fun. We did not dance while visiting. However, you could tell there was plenty of space for it if that was what you wanted to do. When I move down to Nashville, I am sure I will partake in the dance floor at some point. I will see you soon and can't wait come out and 'play'! Yes, I do enjoy puns. :) read more

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Tried to tell them that I had just had surgery and threw up because of that but they kicked me and my friends out because I threw up in a trashcan. read more

This place is a money grab. It's really a waste of time and money. You pay for tickets then the queens come out and put on a sub-par show with little entertainment for a quick money grab. We all understand that money needs to be made but this place is kind of a joke. read more

No much variety of music to my taste. DQ shows are really short but they are fun. Ive been a couple of times and it's always half empty.

As a New Yorker, I'm accustomed to the travel norms of different parts of the country. I'm at this club and umm..yeah. all I can say is that Di'Angelo the bartender is sexy, cool, and makes a strong drink. He salvaged my night. The drag show was ok. Leah...Leo was the show stopper. read more

Pretty decent place minus the pricey cover charge and it's 2021 and it's cash only for the cover charge?!?! Get with the times!!!! Friendly staff, good drinks and service read more

Absolutely loved the show. We reserved a booth for our bachelorette party and we had an absolutely amazing time! Dancing and watching the girls perform made for a great night. Our waitress was on top of all our drink orders and never left us thirsty. She was the sweetest. The bartenders were so nice and did great with the drinks. When it was almost time to leave, we found a hot dog stand outside serving Mac and cheese which brought my girls so much joy! I definitely recommend Play. The one in Louisville, KY is also great! read more

Kicked out for asking for water. Despite paying the cover charge and 70 dollars the previous night, kicked out by security for waiting in line and asking for a plastic cup of water. God forbid you dance for 30 minutes straight and ask for some ice water. Beware of going and them charging you 15+ dollars only to leave you on the sidewalk. I hope this place gets found out for the cash grab it is with the ruthless security and the apathetic bartenders. Ruined my friends and my night. read more

Andrew was absolutely amazing he made our whole night!! P.S need more fans outside!!!

Honestly one of the worst experiences of my life. Was taken here unaware that it was a drag show. They claim there is a separate room with a dance floor but all I saw were gay men waiting for someone to get with. Multiple men walked into the girls bathroom when the men's was directly next door. Keep in mind they would walk in the stalls together and we all know what they were doin in there. My friend got hit on repeatedly after telling this girl she was straight. The girl asked "do you think it is hard to go down on another girl" despite learning my friend was straight. Please do not go if you are straight and just looking for a club type place, this is not the one to go to. You will feel violated as did my friend and i that night. Would not recommend! read more

Full disclosure: I'm not the authority in the bar scene here in Nashville. I typically only see these places once every three years when someone is visiting; so, I can only speak from a visitor's point of view while I live here in Nashville. Play is awesome as far as bars go. Decor-wise, when you walk into the bar, your first impression is the recently renovated show bar with a large stage, sleek panels, cafe area and two risered sections. Note: The riser area on the far end is VIP only and costs $50 to enter. You'll get the same view from almost anywhere so you can either knock yourself out and let people see that you have the money to sit there or sit with the rest of us commoners. The bar is broken into technically four areas. The show bar, the dance bar, the entry/lounge and the smoking area. The dance bar is as nice as anything I've ever been to in NYC, Chicago or California. The mix is great. They also have a lot of events in this space, too, like fashion shows and smaller concerts. The drag show is obviously the big draw. "Deeranged," the hostess and emcee is world-class. First, she's classy. Second, she's hilarious. Third, she goes beyond the normal boy-in-a-dress lipsynch and really challenges herself as a theatrical artist. This night, she did "What's Going On" dresses as The Mad Hatter (and not the Party City costume version either) and "Bohemian Rhapsody" as Edward Scissorhands. The entire audience sat in awe the entire 7 to 10 minutes. The other "playmates" are also excellent. I'm not big on the plastic surgery drag queens. I like a full illusion and someone who out of drag shocks you as a boy. Expect a ton of bachelorette parties at the 11 pm show. Ladies, we love you, but GEEZ you can really be disrespectful to the performers. For a more respectful experience, enjoy the 1 am show. If you have problems with loud music, the show mix is actually perfect. Crowd-wise, I really don't know. It changes, it seems. Stereotypically, it's a "twinky" crowd. Oh, and ask for Kyle as your bartender and double tip him. He's amazing! read more

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Good lawd. I had such a FUN time here. From the talented drag performances that had me entranced to the stiff cocktails and friendly crowd... this is a spot to get your party-on. We were a bit tipsy but brought a large group to hang out in the VIP box so we certainly spoiled. Thanks Suzy Wong! Everyone and anyone would have a good time here. read more

Play - Britney, bitch. - Gay Bars Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

It's insulting not only to those who have been out of work for the past year, but also to healthcare workers at how little this bar seems to care about covid. Tables are still piled on top of each other. Drag queens aren't taking precautions. PrEP doesn't protect you from covid! read more