Another prominent Brighton gay venue is to shut as the R-Bar prepares to close its doors for the last time.
The news comes days after the Charles Street Tap also announced that it would shut some time next month.
The R-Bar said today (Tuesday 11 August): “It is with enormous sadness that we announce today that R-Bar will be closing its doors permanently next month.
“We are absolutely devastated to be losing another LGBTQ+ venue in Brighton at a time when safe queer spaces are more important than ever – just a few days after Charles Street Tap also announced that they will be closing their doors for good in September.
”If there’s one thing we’d ask, it’s this: please support your local LGBTQ+ venues going forwards.
“They are here for our community 52 weeks a year but they can only survive if we continue to use them.
”For now, we want to say a massive thank you to everyone that has been part of this beautiful journey.
“To the bartenders, the managers, the security, the drag queens, the DJs, the performers – thank you for everything you’ve done to help create a bit of magic at R-Bar over the years!
“And – of course – to all the customers who became regulars – you’ve also become part of our unique and wonderful extended queer family.
“Thank you for every drink, every dance, every laugh and every memory.”
Brighton Pavilion and Peacehaven MP Chris Ward described the closure as “really sad news” alongside the loss of Charles Street Tap.
Mr Ward said: “For decades they’ve been places of joy, freedom and inclusion, and its a huge loss to see two major LGBTQ+ venues in our city close.
“This just underlines that we need to do much more both localy and nationally to support our night-time economy and LGBTQ+ venues in particular.
“Brighton has a proud LGBTQ+ history and identity, and we must do everything we can to protect the venues and spaces that are such an important part of that heritage and community.
“I’m meeting with Steve [Jones, R-Bar managing director] this week to discuss this further and to see what more can be done to revitalise and support local hospitality.
“I will then raise this both in Parliament and with Ministers going forward.”
Brighton once had so many pubs and clubs of all kinds. Sad to see it change so much.
Lots of bars close for lots of various reasons, this is headline because ???
It sounds like vg3 disruption is proving to be a disaster for local buinesses.
Incorrect.
It’s the polices cumulative impact policy around bars and clubs. Instead of closing down the off-licences which cause so many problems they have systematically targeted venues licences so that a night out in Brighton is an incredibly boring one where everything closes by 1/2am compared to what It use to be, 4/5am, because it means one or two less incidents for them to deal with.
You have to stop and ask sometimes, is culture worth ripping up because someone learnt how to do a risk assessment… Id argue, probably not.
Obviously not your doorway being used as a toilet or being puked in, and at some stage during the night working people would like some sleep in the homes they pay for. I agree all these kiosks and offies should be reduced and even controlled. Do we really need 24/7 booze availability ??
Gosh. Brighton is Incredibly boring because everything finishes by 1 or 2 am (not true anyway I’ve just checked the closing times of the seafront clubs) …Odd when I was younger everything shut by 11 pm/midnight and we could still have a good night out and weren’t bored; perhaps it’s a generational thing and people are more easily bored nowadays
A lot of LGBT bars in Brighton rely on the huge influx of money from the Pride Street Party to top up their reserves – and spend a lot of money planning for the two day event. With no official word on numbers from the organisers – I’ve seen pictures of the Pride Street Party on Sunday with less than 150 people in attendance.
Subsequently, we’ve seen two of the largest bars from within the new Pride Street Party zone announce that they are closing. I can’t help wondering if there is a link between the dismal numbers on Sunday and bars closing.
I’m a bit sad to see this go, it’s pretty iconic for Brighton. My thoughts are not only the economic pressures, but the change to social behaviours as well. Less people tend to go out, and they aren’t buying as much whilst they are out. It creates a perfect storm that really impacts the viability of places.