Looking for your queer community this Pride? Meet: The Sapphic Space

If you’ve ever wished there were more nights out created with queer women and nonbinary people in mind — you’re not alone. And now, there’s finally a space that gets it. Enter The Sapphic Space — a new queer events series founded in Glasgow and now making its way to Edinburgh.

Co-founded by Gaia Ragone and Ellie Devlin, The Sapphic Space is a trans-inclusive, femme-led night built for women and nonbinary people who love women — and it’s already building serious momentum. Think line dancing at Maggie’s Rock N’ Rodeo, pizza socials at Nana Said, karaoke, and packed-out parties at Polo Lounge. It’s a social space rooted in joy, safety, and connection — not just cocktails and club nights (although there’s room for those too).

Born out of a gap in the Scottish scene, Gaia and Ellie launched the project after noticing just how few spaces were created by queer women, for queer women. With only three permanent lesbian bars remaining in the UK, according to PinkNews, it’s clear there’s still a long way to go when it comes to visible, inclusive nightlife.

But The Sapphic Space is changing that — with community at its core.

Unlike many nights, alcohol isn’t the main event. While some gatherings include drinks, each one is designed to be sober-friendly and welcoming to all. Whether you come solo or with friends, it’s all about showing up as you are and leaving with new connections — or even chosen family.

We caught up with founders Gaia and Ellie to hear more about their vision, what’s next, and the moments that have stayed with them so far.

Why is a night built around queer women and non-binary people important to you?

There’s something really powerful about being in a space where you don’t have to explain yourself – where you can just exist peacefully. Queer women, trans women and non-binary people are so often on the margins of queer nightlife, even in LGBTQ+ spaces. We wanted to create events that centres us, where we’re not the afterthought or the token demographic, but the heart of the room. It’s about safety, yes, but also about joy – feeling seen, celebrated, and fully free to connect with each other, flirt, dance, or build community.

As founders of The Sapphic Space, what is your ultimate vision for the project?

Our dream is to build something that is more than just events. We want a space that grows with us: from club nights to quiet hangs, from one city to many, from in-person to digital. We want to create the sensation of having a home that moves with us – a space where people can fall in love, find their best friends, build chosen family, or just finally feel like they belong.

Are there any highlights or special stories that stick out to you from the events so far?

Honestly, there are so many. The number of people who’ve messaged us to say they found new best pals, or a sense of belonging at one of our nights is wild. One of our favourites was during our karaoke night – a group of strangers ended up singing and dancing on stage together. We love seeing people come to our events alone and leave in a group. We even have a little sapphic friendship group of regulars that comes to all our events. It’s seeing things like that, real connections forming, that remind us why we started this.

What kind of community has grown from the nights so far?

It’s genuinely one of the kindest, warmest communities we’ve ever been part of. People look out for each other, lift each other up, and there’s such a beautiful mix of energies. There’s a special kind of tenderness where people just get each other, without needing to put on a front.

What are your upcoming events?

Our Edinburgh Launch is on 28 July at CC Blooms — people can expect a fun night of music, mingling and 3 very special performances! It’ll be such a great way to introduce ourselves to the community in Edinburgh and we hope to keep it going with regular events there after our launch.

Next we have a makeup masterclass in collaboration with MAC on 30 July. We’ll be running 2 different slots – one for an everyday look, and the second for a full glam look. People will get an hour to learn from the incredibly talented MAC artists, and then will get £10 towards anything they wish to buy as well as 15% off in store. Makeup has always been an outlet and a form of self expression for many people in the community, so we wanted to give people the chance to hone those skills and be able to express themselves.

Follow The Sapphic Space on Instagram @thesapphicspaceuk for updates and ticket links. Tickets for upcoming events are available via OutSavvy.