Valentino Carrillo, shown standing inside Que Rico before it opened, will launch Next Level, a new LGBTQ bar in Oakland, with a soft opening August 28.

Photo: Cynthia Laird

As Oakland readies for Pride early next month, it’s also welcoming a new LGBTQ nightclub from a familiar face.

Valentino Carrillo, a gay man who owns the Latino LGBTQ nightclub Que Rico at 381 15th Street, is opening Next Level at the former Level 13 Ultra Lounge space at 341 13th Street. A soft opening celebration is set for Thursday, August 28, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. (Level 13, which described itself as LGBTQ-friendly, quietly shuttered earlier this year.)

The first 100 attendees will receive gift bags, Carrillo said, and there will be a ribbon cutting at 9, along with appetizers, go-go dancers, other performers, a

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