Club Pedestal Review: London’s incredible female dominance party event that will change the way you view your life.

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I review a lot of events on the London alternative scene: swinger parties. Kink events. Socials and the occasional desexualised event that really has something special to weave into your own personal utopia. There has never been an event that I could say this about before:

All women, whatever your age, size and look. Whether you are kinky or vanilla. Whatever your history, background and interests? You need to try Club Pedestal.

What is the allure?

To describe Club Pedestal as London’s premiere female dominance night is not to do it justice. Yes, this is the concept. This is the vibe. But Pedestal is more than this. Attending Club Pedestal is an act of two-monthly self-care. One that resets all the negativity that can worm its way into your self-image.

Any single woman knows the grind of the dating scene. The ghosters, submariners, F-boys, narcissists. The endless low-level reinforcement of every bad thing you could ever look in the mirror and tell yourself. You are too much. Not enough. You are too fat. Too old. Too boring. Stupid. Weird. Too broken. Too outspoken. Aloof. Too intimidating. Just not relationship material. Just not enough fun.

Forget that self-image!

Coupled-up women certainly have this too- just they have chosen the particular poisoned chalice from which to drink daily. Imagine now something else. Imagine stepping into a world where you were not just admired, exactly as you are. But worshipped. A place you walk in and men instantly fall on their knees before you, begging to be of assistance. That their existence is valid only in their service of you. To hold your bag. Fetch your drink. Rub your feet. Make their body a chair for you to rest on.

A place where men cannot speak unless spoken to. A place where they cannot answer back. Cannot mansplain. Cannot man-spread. Where they are aware that they exist for your pleasure and amusement. Where they are grateful for any attention, from your glance to your words of chastisement, with fawning thanks and admiration.

Sounds like a fantasy. Doesn’t it?

The fact is, this dreamscape of empowerment, justice and indeed retribution is a real place. Once every two months, on a Thursday evening, Club Pedestal takes over a nightclub in Vauxhall. It transforms into a feminist utopia the Amazonians could only have hoped for.

You might imagine that such an event would be overcrowded with women and a few simpering men. But you’d be wrong. Pedestal is filled to the rafters with men, competitively trying to be chosen to serve you best. Men of all kinds, from all walks of life. Gorgeous men; tall, muscular, charming. Bearded hipsters. Leather daddy types. Femboys, aristocrats and intellectuals. And for those of a more Sapphic leaning, female submissives too.

Is it all just dominant women?

The rule is, you can be a dominant woman or be into dominant women. You can even, secretly, be a dominant man. But you can’t behave that way here. Women can wear whatever they want and do (pretty much) whatever they like. Men must be dressed and behave in a way that shows they are into dominant women. Smart black attire and a collar to show you know your place is the absolute minimum. You’ll see many of the male subs wearing things that are a lot more elaborate (or revealing).

If you love being surrounded by powerful women, this is the night out for you! A thrilling exploration of dominance and submission in London, love every party!

Kinky Tiger

Is Club Pedestal Inclusive?

Set on ground level, it is a more accessible space than many London clubs. It is inclusive in terms of body shape, gender, sexuality and age. The only restriction is that the men must be submissive.

Almost the entire venue is step free and accessible. There is no strobe lighting and there are spaces outdoors to sit, relax and chat. It isn’t a dance night, as with so many of the new fetish events. It is firmly kink, though there is some music.

The crowd is diverse in ethnicity, gender presentation and sexuality. There is no advance vetting by looks, age or body type. You will be expected to dress up appropriately and conduct yourself appropriately for the event, but it is not discriminatory. You will not be able to behave in a dominant way if you are male, but that is a choice.

There are gender-neutral toilets, complete with bathroom assistants offering perfume, sweets and an array of treats that you can ask your submissives to buy you. There are multiple (and often indecipherable) gender identities and portrayals happily mixing and enjoying the event. Transwomen can come as dominant women or submissive too, as they see fit. As with most of the kink crowd, it’s a super-inclusive space. The only thing you won’t find here is dominant men behaving dominantly. You bow to the rules, or you don’t get to come.

Best event on the scene. Hang your balls up at the door and relinquish power and you’re in for the time of your lives.

Anon

What to wear to Club Pedestal

What men (and other submissives) should wear to Club Pedestal

Full kink-wear is encouraged and will help you be taken seriously as a worthy submissive. Think harnesses, leather, rubber shorts, feminisation, chains, chastity cages, kilts and kitten ears. There is even a competition on stage for the best-dressed sub at the end of the cabaret, with a prize. Wear dark boots or shoes rather than trainers and make an effort. You may be turned away, required to go naked or wear a black bin bag (appropriate) if you try to flout the rules. You can check your outfit meets the requirements here.

What women should wear to Club Pedestal

Women may wear whatever they choose. Typical outfits are powerful business-wear, lingerie, latex, kink wear, leather and vintage glamour. Six-inch PVC boots are certainly seen at Club Pedestal, but female dominance is about wearing what empowers you, not dressing for the male gaze.

Remember, your outfit is a form of self-expression and contributes to the overall atmosphere of the club. The guests, with their look and behaviour, create the ambiance. Nobody is impressed by a tourist who’s come to gawk, or looks like they came there by mistake. Show respect to the hosts and your fellow party-goers by planning ahead. Wear something suitable to be admired in, or to show your dedication to the world of femdom.

What happens at Club Pedestal?

The Club Pedestal layout

On entry, you’ll be searched for safety and have your ticket checked. You are then welcomed in by house slaves who will help you navigate the space, advise where you can change outfit if needed and possibly give you a rose or another token of respect. There is a kinkwear stall near the entrance where you can buy something special to stand out or a flogger to delight and punish your eager submissives. If you’ve come in latex, there is usually a rubber shining slave who can buff up your outfit, and I’ve also seen a boot polishing slave circulating. A lady shouldn’t be expected to do everything herself.

There is a secure cloakroom where you can check your bag in if wished, and a mezzanine which functions as a changing space. Under this is a bar and the room stretches out to multiple other spaces. There is a perspex box (think Snow White) with hand holes where an adventurous sub can lay themselves at the mercy of unseen strangers. A trampling cage. There are various spanking benches, St Andrews’ Crosses and elaborately twisted metal art that can be best described as uncomfortable pommel horses for your subs to get spankings on.

Exploring Pedestal

To the right is another room with dance floor, a second bar and the stage for performances, as well as an exit to the outside smoking area, which is secure and not overlooked. There are unisex toilets with an attendant. To the left of the main room is another space, The Goddess Room, which is a high protocol room. Men are not supposed to speak here unless spoken to first. Some hesitantly try, and humbly receive a stern telling-off from the women there.

In the Goddess Room there is another bar, entrance to the women only toilets and a variety of cages and equipment. The Goddess room is where the ‘select a slave’ event is held.

The Matriarchy

Courtesy of ClubPedestal (all rights reserved)

Miss Lilly, Princess Lexi, Miss Pixie Mills, Lady Carla, Divine Domino, Mistress Cherry

There can be no mention of Club Pedestal without the amazing work done by the Matriarchs – a wonderful group of experienced dominant women who ensure everything runs smoothly and that the guests are having the time of their lives.

I felt like I found my voice at Club Pedestal. Even before I became part of the matriarchy, just when I started going. I would say it’s a great girls’ night out, but it’s also great because it is a place where women can freely enjoy saying no to men, without having to worry about any repercussions, like they would in certain other spaces out in the rest of the world. And I think that’s something. One of the biggest things I took from my times at Pedestal- getting comfortable with setting boundaries and getting comfortable with saying no. Even getting comfortable with saying F- off! Even to the point that I actually quite enjoy saying no to a man or telling him to F- off at this point. It’s a very empowering thing for women to go to and they should use it as an opportunity to find their voice and get comfortable saying no to men.

Pedestal Matriarch

Whereas the House Slaves (vetted and trained volunteers recruited to serve the dominant female guests) wear burgundy aprons and the Maître D’s (providing a bespoke service) wear a dinner jacket with a red collar, the Matriarchs wear bright armbands. If there is any problem come find them. There are about 20 of them circulating around, ensuring safety and organising things.

Club Pedestal through the night

If you arrive early, there is a Fetlife group where newcomers, those who are unsure or not wanting to be alone can get together and form an evening friend-group for moral support.

Select a slave

The select-a-slave event gets underway in the Goddess Room. The women sit comfortably and are handed clipboards, paper and pens to rate their volunteer subs. The men then alternate positions every few minutes, a little like speed dating. They kneel before them asking to be considered. They humbly extol the ways in which they can be useful, amusing or of service. The women ask questions and set them challenges to complete, so they may be rated out of five on a variety of criteria, with their scores written on little cards.

Naturally, this is all done in the spirit of fun and acts as a nice icebreaker and excuse to mix and mingle. The challenges set are often hilarious (such as three subs being told to hop on one foot and the last man standing is the only one to get a point). It also serves as an opportunity to discuss likes, boundaries and consent for the subs, as well as providing them an opportunity to approach and speak to the women they are so humbly desperate to interact with.

The Performances at Pedestal

The performances are up on stage, with lighting, sound system and a stellar cast and crew who curate wonderful female dominance shows that span cabaret, boylesque, burlesque and comedy. It wraps up with the best dressed submissive contest, for which the winner gets a prize.

Playtime at Pedestal

The playtime can then begin in earnest – not that it doesn’t from the moment you walk in. A balcony brimming with eager subs await selection to serve They can be pulled in as a seat, to rub your feet, fetch drinks and do whatever else seems amusing to Mistress in the moment.

The vast array of equipment stimulates creativity and it is one of the few venues to have a legitimate trampling cage- a huge prison cell of a contraption with ropes hanging from the top. A cage where women can walk up and down on their happy submissive volunteers barefoot or in their 6 inch platform boots. The subs they lay flat on the floor, revelling in the attention they are being treated to by the beautiful, dominant women crushing their heels into their torsos.

👸 Mistress says: No shoes in the trample cage, unless you know the submissive and are certain no harm will result. You are encouraged to go barefoot but there is a dungeon monitor assigned to the trample cage to monitor safety.

Aftercare

Any time you need some semi-normality, a break or a quiet place to socialise, the outside area (not just for smokers) is huge and has many seats. It’s enclosed on all sides so there are no nosey vanillas peering in and it is a fantastic socialising space to mix, mingle and get to know people better. If you are a smoker, there are quite a few ‘human ashtrays’.

Afterparty

Not an official part of Pedestal, but for those who have booked the Friday off work (as the event goes until 5 or 6am) and want to make the most of it, as turning out time happens you face a choice: Go back to your life- your quiet, annoying life crushed by systemic patriarchy- by taking the tube home, or seek an afterparty. Will you take the blue pill?

The Pied-Piper of Pedestal

Often the best things in life are those we do not plan for, expect to find, or even imagine until we are immersed in them, feeling like a teenager on a wild adventure with good-vibes strangers and no idea what will happen next. The unofficial things. The well-known secrets that you chance upon by sheer luck and timing. Ladies, gentleman and other identities, I present to you the Pied Piper of Pedestal – King of the impromptu afterparty and absolute savant in guest selection, ‘LC’.

How to spot LC

You may see LC, regular of Pedestal that he is, feminized as a girl. Not a woman: more like an anime-style girl with rubber skirt, headband, glitter and the iconic single sock. You can confirm this sighting by the fact the leash connects to something other than a neck collar. He will generally be accompanied by one or more attractive women, who may be spanking him (Don’t interrupt a scene.)

He will cherry-pick you if you are fortunate enough to come across as a fun person with good vibes, an ability to socialise pleasantly and match the mix for the evening (or morning, even afternoon, as the case may be). You may be invited to join an afterparty. If you are invited, I highly recommend you say yes.

You will be thrown into a mix of lovely, open-minded kinky people in a nice environment for BDSM, relaxation, socialising, friendship and an air of adventure as to where the night may lead. A private party, basically, at another venue. With really cool people who will become your party friends. How does LC do it? Select the right mix every time, on the hoof? I do not know, I suspect he has magical powers.

A tale of the magic restorative power of pedestal…

My tale starts the very first time I went to Club Pedestal. I was convinced to go around five or six years ago by a beautiful, black female dominant I know. Her driver submissive picked us up and took us to the event. I was a little nervous at first, feeling an expectation to ‘be dominant’ for a huge event filled with submissive men, and I was fairly new to the BDSM scene in general. Would I have imposter syndrome? Would I be dominant enough not to look a fool?

As I walked in, six or so men fell to their knees before me, simultaneously begging to rub my feet, serve me or otherwise asking me to find ways to make them useful. This may be my memory dramatizing it, but it’s not far off.

One rather cute blonde one with an affable Disney-hero sort of expression asked to serve me, so unsure what to do in the moment I passed him my handbag to carry. Scroll forward through the night and we had spent a lot of time chatting, done an impact play scene and (if I recall) even made out a little. I gave him my contact number on a business card and asked him to call.

He didn’t call.

I did casually wonder if I might run into him the next few times I went, but life moves on and there must have been a thousand people I’ve met and adventures I’ve had since then.

Times move on…

I revisited Pedestal solo earlier this year, having attended with a few different men as my companion on various occasions. I found them to be rather more of a burden to show around and take care of than the night is supposed to be. It is supposed to be about female dominance. Our power. Fun. Our adventure. Not babysitting a man and making sure he is contented.

As it’s such a safe night out for a single woman I had no qualms at all about going solo and rather relished the idea, though I think going with female friends is also always a fun option. You don’t need to bring your own menfolk here. They aren’t very useful and, if anything, get in the way of meeting more interesting submissives to add to your collection.

Lady J and the select-a-slave

I came in and really wanted to try the select a slave event- the Goddess room fills up relatively early for seating so I wanted to stake myself a space. I was waved over by a complete stranger who we shall call Lady J – a fun and exquisitely dressed transwoman who was merrily drunk and very friendly, with a tiny sparkly flogger in hand. She asked if it was my first time here and I said it wasn’t, but she seemed to believe it was and proceeded to tell me all about Pedestal and give me tips on it, chatting away until the select-a-slave event got started. We were given pencils and score cards to assess our victims/volunteers and the submissives started moving around the room, kneeling before the little groups of dominant women one by one to present their skills for selection.

We had a lovely young man in a leather puppy outfit come kneel before us and demonstrate his skills at little tasks we set him, talk about his kink interests and boundaries. Then his five minutes were up, our puppy rotated on and a new sub knelt before us. Lady J asked his name. A little bell of memory rung in my mind. I looked down at the sub kneeling before us, head bowed to the floor and I leant in a little. “I remember you.”

The plot thickens…

Our sub turned his head up, with a look of fear and horror, as I whispered, ‘You never called…”

Lady J, sat beside me, took a moment to grasp the situation as I calmly asked him what had happened. There was some stammering and poor excuses about losing the card and not being able to find me online. Really? Me?

Lady J, filled with the wrath of every woman scorned or ghosted throughout history, rose from her chair like Boadicea, like Medusa, like Joan of Arc. She had the tiny little flogger in hand, and started beating him around the head with it, calling him all names under the sun. On my behalf.

“J-, J-, ” I tried to stop her, “It’s no big deal, we only met the once…” but she wasn’t having any of it. She proceeded to mortify the flesh of this poor boy who already looked more than mortified in spirit. He didn’t safeword out though.

Needless to say, he didn’t get my number for a second time. But of all the times one might have wished to see a ghoster reappear for closure, even years later, this is something we almost never get. It was beyond my wildest dreams to have one knelt before me and begging forgiveness.

This, ladies. This is the power of Pedestal.

👸 Mistress says: All scenes involving impact play should involve pre-arranged consent to all activities and involve enthusiastic, continuous and immediately revocable consent.

Want to be a part of Pedestal?

The event isn’t vetted so this isn’t needed to buy a ticket, however those not correctly dressed or behaving correctly will be ejected and banned. If you want to volunteer as a House Slave or Matriarch, there is a process however. Take a look at the Club Pedestal Website. Events are usually once every 2 months on a Thursday night.

Verdict? 😊✔✔✔

GUESTS ARE APPROACHABLE – There are a number of established friendship groups who go but they are generally very open to meeting new people and actively seek out new connections. for newbies there is a group introduction. you are shown around to help you settle in. the submissives are certainly friendly- and extremely amenable to requests of any kind. the dominant women easily form friendships from a single meeting with each other

ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE – there are a range of body types and ages for both men and women, including some of the most beautiful men and women I’ve ever seen

SWINGING FRIENDLY (PROVISION, ATTITUDES) – not a swinging place and you are not supposed to involve in full sexual play or nudity. it’s just kink

KINK FRIENDLY – specifically a female dominance night. dungeon equipment, trampling cage, benches, the perspex box, bring your flogger and nipple clamps, you’ll have plenty of submissives to choose from. house slaves (the fun BDSM kind, not the historical kind) in attendance to help make sure you have everything you need

TRANS-INCLUSIVE – very much so. trans women can come as dominants with no issues. women can come as dominants or submissives. men may only come as submissives.

BODY SHAPE INCLUSIVE – IT’S A VERY BODY POSITIVE EVENT, with a celebration of the different feminine archetypes that female dominants can embody

AGE INCLUSIVE – YES, OVER 18. MOST LOOKED 25-55 BUT THERE WERE A VARIETY OF AGES

RACIALLY INCLUSIVE – PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT ETHNIC IDENTITIES IN ATTENDANCE, THERE IS NO ISSUE WITH RACIAL DIFFERENCES IN THIS CROWD. VERY POC FRIENDLY, ABLE TO TALK TO EVERYONE AND MAKE FRIENDS AND find play mates WITHOUT BARRIERS

COUPLES – COULD COME AS A COUPLE IF YOU LIKE. might be better for a man this way. better for women to come solo or with female friends for the best experience. TICKETS SOLD TO INDIVIDUALS, though slightly cheaper as a pair. £40 in advance

SINGLE WOMEN – COMPLETELY SAFE AND WELCOMING FOR SINGLE WOMEN. it is probably the best event to go completely solo as a woman. not only safe but cheaper than therapy. £25 in advance

SINGLE GUYS – SINGLE GUYS WELCOME, NO HIGHER TICKET PRICES, but you will need to be dressed and act in a submissive way. £25 in advance

AFFORDABLE AND VALUE FOR MONEY– cheapest option is an advance ticket. there is a charge to store coats and bags, and drinks are london prices. best get a submissive to fetch them for you, but you aren’t supposed to force them pay for them (there is a strict no pay for play rule)

SAFE – THERE WERE NO ISSUES WITH SAFETY. THERE ARE STAFF AND MONITORS around but the men are there to serve and devote themselves to the superiority of the divine feminine. bags and coats can go to a staffed coatroom. there is no access direct from the outside

SPACIOUS – Large venue with multiple rooms, mezzanine and outdoor space. You may need to plan to sit down early for good seats at the select-a-slave and at the cabaret show. multiple bathroom areas, rarely if ever any significant queue. may have some queueing to get in, at the coatroom and at the bar depending on the time of night. kink equipment gets filled through the night so start your play session early to avoid waiting

WELL EQUIPPED – STAGE, GOOD SOUND SYSTEM, multiple BARs, trampling CAGE, PLENTY OF SEATING, multiple BATHROOMS, dungeon equipment, lots of attention to detail

DIFFERENTIAL GENDER PRICING– NO

DIFFERENTIAL COUPLES PRICING– you save a fiver and have to arrive together, but you dont need to be hetero-gendered

ROCK UP LAST MINUTE WITH A FRIEND? – you can buy a ticket on the door but it will be a little more expensive

EASY TO GET A MEMBERSHIP? not required

TRANSPORT– zone one vauxhall, just by the train station. parking possible on side roads 5 or 10 minutes walk away, hard to get an uber from near the event as there isn’t anywhere for them to stop

DISABLED ACCESS? – THE BOTTOM FLOOR WAS ENTIRELY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE AND CONTAINED BAR, BATHROOM, SOCIALISING SPACE, PERFORMANCE STAGE AND KINK PLAY SPACE. mezzanine might not be accessible but only used as a changing space

**Please note: in order to preserve the confidentiality of the guests at Club Pedestal, taking photos is not appropriate. The images here have been created by Ai including Midjourney Ai to try to capture the feel and theme of the evening, based on descriptive text. They have been selected for resembling the reality of the event as closely as possible but are not accurate in every detail. As such, none of the people and situations shown here are real and have been created for the purposes of illustration, education and entertainment only. With the exception of LC, who made them himself for this purpose. The photos that are real are from Pedestal management and used with consent of all those featured. They remain copyright property of Pedestal.

**All reviews are written for free for the benefit of the community and those seeking events likely to match their tastes, interests and requirements. The views and experiences are my own and names and details are changed and anonymised where appropriate. Every night is a little different, and my reviews are based on my own experiences and opinions.