The loss of two of Brighton’s biggest gay venues has prompted a community campaigner to call on the council to intervene.
Daniel Harris asked the council to hold talks with Brighton Pride to bring in a levy on tickets to support the struggling LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) sector.
Mr Harris made his plea at a Brighton and Hove City Council meeting on Thursday (1 October), citing the recent closure of R-Bar and Charles Street Tap.
He told the meeting, at Hove Town Hall, that the loss of both places showed the need for support for LGBT venues from both the council and Pride.
Mr Harris said: “I’ve spoken with Brighton Pride. I had a meeting with the CEO and I’ve floated an idea of a levy on the tickets, say £5, to go towards saving these community assets of value because we’re losing venues.
“I see this as quite a big draw for people coming in as tourists but my worry is it’s gone so corporate – but where’s the money coming in from the community side?”
Mr Harris also raised other concerns, saying: “Brighton Pride CIC holds landlord’s consent for Preston Park yet its two flagship events, Pride on the Park and the Brighton Street Party, are owned and delivered by BN1 Events Collective Ltd, a private company.
“In January 2025, majority control of BN1 passed to Louder Entertainment Ltd and Joy Entertainment Group Ltd, entertainment businesses with no prior LGBTQ+ community role. Louder Entertainment has since been majority-acquired by Live Nation.
“Meanwhile, CIC-declared turnover fell from roughly £4 million (2018-19) to £830,000 and charitable transfers dropped from £367,000 (2022) to £0.
“Is the council satisfied that the current structure provides sufficient transparency over who controls the event, where income flows, and how community benefit is protected?”
Labour councillor David McGregor, the council’s cabinet member for the economy, culture, heritage and tourism, said that the council did not regulate the corporate ownership or governance of Pride.
The council aimed to ensure that any event on public land was lawful, he said, and conditions of use were set as part of the “landlord’s consent”.
He had met with LGBT venues, he said, and at the same meeting Revenge director Steve Jones, who used to run R-Bar, presented a five-point plan to help venues survive
- recognise and invest in Brighton’s LGBTQ+ Quarter year-round by developing a clear plan to improve lighting, cleanliness and the public realm in the St James’s Street, Marine Parade and the surrounding area
- make the area safer with closed-circuit television (CCTV), visible policing and wardens and by tackling anti-social behaviour, street drinking, drug activity and hate crime
- promote Brighton’s LGBTQ+ identity and offer, not just around Pride, but 365 days a year through Visit Brighton and other promotional partners
- create a licensing environment that supports responsible nightlife and investment while allowing good operators and new ideas to invest
- protect permanent venues and develop a long-term nightlife strategy for the full 6pm to 6am economy, including measures to protect existing venues, attract responsible investment, improve transport and safety and support midweek and off-season activity
Councillor McGregor said: “There are multiple different ways in which we can help and we are going to be helping with the venues to make sure we keep the LGBT venues open.
“It’s why I moved here. I’m genuinely passionate about making sure that it happens (and) there are multiple ways in which we can help.”
Discrimination if some businesses get help and others don’t. All are being shafted by this Government and this Council. We need fuel tax cancelled, red routes cancelled and affordable visitor parking restored – free after 6pm – to boost the night time economy. This city is such a mess we don’t even have a coach station any more – THREE YEARS after the Albion hotel fire.
Bars and clubs are dying everywhere.