L'Esclave has carried the same name on the same narrow street inside Avignon's walls since 1983, and it is the one gay club the city has. The Rhône is a minute away and the Palais des Papes a short walk east.
The place works vertically over three floors. The main bar and a small dance floor sit at street level, a second bar and the smoking area are one floor up, and there is a backroom above that. It is compact rather than a big room, and it does not get going until very late.
Guest DJs and drag performers appear on themed nights and the music leans to house and pop. The crowd is mostly gay men, and considerably more mixed in July when the theatre festival fills the city.
