Circus Disco – Hollywood’s Big Top of Queer Dance (1974 – 2016)
For over four decades, Circus Disco stood as one of Los Angeles’s largest and longest-running queer nightclubs, a place where everyone could dance under the big top without judgement. Opened in 1974 by Gene La Pietra (with partner Ermilio “Ed” Lemos), Circus began as a vibrant response to the racism and exclusion queer people of color often faced at other West Hollywood clubs — welcoming a largely Latinx LGBTQ+ crowd and anyone else who wanted to belong.
Located on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, Circus Disco quickly became more than just a dance club — it was a cultural anchor and community sanctuary. With themed nights, three huge rooms of music, and a famously welcoming, non-judgmental vibe, it gave decades of queer Angelenos a place to celebrate identity, build friendships, and make memories.
After its last dance on January 1, 2016, Circus was demolished later that year — but its spirit lives on in the countless lives it touched and the queer nightlife history it helped shape.
