Brighton gay bar announces 2026 closure: ‘We are absolutely devastated’
R-Bar is the second Brighton gay bar to announce its closure in recent weeks
By Aaron Sugg
R-Bar, a popular gay bar along the Brighton seafront, has announced that it will close in September due to increasing financial pressures.
Announcing the update via Instagram, R-Bar officials wrote: “It is with enormous sadness that we announce today that R-Bar will be closing its doors permanently next month.”
The closure comes shortly after the historic Charles Street Tap, another Brighton gay bar, recently made headlines after announcing that it would close following 25 years in business.
“We are absolutely devastated” – R-Bar officials announce the venue’s closure
“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.”
R-Bar has been part of the community for over 21 years. In recent years, the venue has been under increasing financial pressure, with costs rising “dramatically”.
“Despite doing everything we possibly could to adapt, those combined pressures mean that R-Bar is unfortunately no longer financially sustainable.”
The importance of LGBTQ+ spaces
“We hope that the government will recognise how important these venues are to our communities and provide transformative financial change to ensure their survival,” wrote officials.
They also called on Brighton and Hove City Council to do the same and protect LGBTQ+ nightlife.
General manager of Charles Street Tap, Chris Marshall, echoed R-Bar’s community notice, highlighting the importance of safe spaces for queer people.
Charles Street Tap closes after 25 years
“For 25 years, Charles Street has been a small part of the beating heart of Brighton’s LGBTQIA+ community, and it has been my absolute honour to have been part of that story,” he said.
“The loss of one of our safe spaces should always be mourned. But its history and our memories, and the difference it made to so many people, should be celebrated, shouted about and never forgotten.”
Charles Street Tap, formerly known simply as Charles Street, underwent a major rebirth at the end of 2017.
The Charles Street Tap lease comes to an end in mid-September.