Come for a Kinky Frolic in the Torture Garden

You could never say that the Stockroom staff doesn't love a party. Our whole job is to come up with clothes and devices that will make the most average gathering into a near-scandalous evening of hedonism. So of course, you can imagine that we're counting the minutes until Torture Garden hits Los Angeles next weekend.

Torture Garden is so much more than just another fetish sex event though. Founded in 1990 by Allen Pelling and David Wood in London, it's not hyperbole to call it one of the great institutions of modern kink.

History

If you started your kink journey in the last 15 or 20 years, it's hard to conceive of just how much kink communities — and the broader culture around them — have changed since 1990. The Stockroom itself was only two years old at that point, and the internet was still confined primarily to college labs and military facilities. Even within feminist and progressive circles, the topics of porn and BDSM were contentious issues.

To get a sense of public attitudes towards kink in the UK, about 100 gay and bisexual men were swept up by "Operation Spanner" in 1987 and charged with assault due to their participation in consensual BDSM activities that included spanking, wax play, and flogging. Ultimately, 16 men were convicted, with the House of Lords ruling that consent was not a valid defense against assault that resulted in bodily harm.

It was against that background that Pelling and Wood started Torture Garden up as a monthly event, intended to put some life into a nightlife scene that they found to be kind of moribund. So on a Thursday night in October of 1990, they opened the doors for Torture Garden's first event. About a hundred people showed, but each month, more came. In an interview with Vice, Wood said that "The next one was maybe 250 people, then it was 350 people, and then it was 500 people. We were already getting exposed in the tabloid press by the fourth or fifth one."

Growing a Fetish and Kink Community

Through the 90s, attitudes towards kink changed. New drugs allowed the specter of AIDS to recede a little until sex no longer felt like a death sentence; the internet allowed people to explore their "forbidden" desires; and a new generation of sex educators worked to remove the stigma from things like bondage and impact play.

The role of the Torture Garden can't be understated in those changes. When the decade began, TG (as it's affectionately known) operated in a legal grey area. According to Allen, "There was this whole atmosphere at the time that what we were doing was totally, possibly illegal. After time, it became more and more acceptable."

Not just acceptable. Torture Garden succeeded in becoming an EVENT, the kind that you didn't want to miss. Tabloids like The Sun and The Daily Mail may have looked upon the parties as a sign that society's morals were collapsing, but for the cool and creative people, they became a place to be seen. Celebrities who have openly attended TG include fashion designers Alexander McQueen and Jean Paul Gaultier, musicians Courtney Love and Boy George, and glamour model Katie Price. New Wave star Adam Ant was famously once turned away from the door for not being dressed up enough. (If you grew up in the 1980s, you're probably doing a double-take at the very idea.)

While Torture Garden may have its roots in London, it now regularly holds events all over the world: Berlin. San Francisco. New York City. Tokyo.

And of course, Los Angeles.

Why Go to Torture Garden Los Angeles?

If TG was just another sex or fetish party, we wouldn't be quite so balled up with anticipation. It's not even because they represent a great historical institution in BDSM. Our own history of creativity means that as much as we value our history, we're always looking forward to the future, and TG has a well-established track record of being a vital part of kink's future; they've helped increase BDSM's acceptance in culture, while never losing that creative edge of seeking something new.

Torture Garden has never been just about sex; it's always been based on an ethos of transformation and imagination. Their dress code is simple but challenging: If you can wear it on the street without getting stared at, you probably aren't dressed right for TG. (You can find more specific guidelines in the FAQ for TGLA.)

That might sound intimidating, but thousands of people have shown that they're up to the challenge. The way that TG not only encourages but demands imagination from its attendees has helped kink fashion has helped take kink fashions far beyond simple black leather and latex in the last 30 years.

The evening will include German metal musician Mimi Barks doing one of her characteristically dark and raw music sets, as well as a number of skill demonstrations and immersive art exhibitions. And of course, a BDSM playspace and dungeon (grab a VIP ticket for admission there).

We'd love to see you there, so remember: get $10 off admission when you check out using the code STOCKROOMTGLA2026.