12 LGBTQ+ venues launch plan to rebuild Brighton’s struggling queer nightlife
Following the news that R-Bar and Charles Street Tap are closing their doors in September, Brighton’s LGBTQ+ community is fighting back
By Aaron Sugg
Twelve LGBTQ+ venues have published a Five Priorities for Action plan to help rebuild Brighton’s struggling queer nightlife.
The call for action comes after five popular LGBTQ+ venues have closed in recent years, with most not being replaced by new LGBTQ+ operators.
R-Bar (closed September 2026), Charles Street Tap (closed September 2026), The Queery (closed 2026), Velvet Jacks (closed 2023) and Le Village (closed 2023) were among those to have shut their doors to the public.
Five-step plan to save Brighton’s LGBTQ+ nightlife
The coalition has announced a five-step plan to maintain and rebuild queer nightlife in one of the UK’s most colourful cities.
- Formal recognition and investment in Brighton’s LGBTQ+ Quarter.
- Improved safety, including policing, CCTV, night-time welfare, hate crime, drugs and antisocial behaviour.
- Promoting LGBTQ+ Brighton 365 days a year, rather than focusing primarily on Pride.
- Creating a more supportive licensing environment for existing and new LGBTQ+ operators.
- Developing a long-term 6pm–6am nightlife strategy, covering transport, accommodation, winter tourism and venue resilience.
Among the 12 businesses supporting the plan is the cabaret and drag cocktail bar, The Birdcage. Managing Director Sean Pettit-Scheepers stressed the importance of queer spaces in a news release.
Businesses support Five Priorities for Action
“At The Birdcage, we believe LGBTQ+ venues should be more than places to go out. They should be safe, welcoming spaces where our community can connect, celebrate and feel that they belong.
“We fully support this five-point plan because urgent change is needed to protect these spaces, support responsible operators and ensure Brighton’s queer community can thrive all year round.
“Working together, we can preserve what makes Brighton special while building a safer, more inclusive and sustainable future.”
Brighton & Hove City Council’s commitment to queer venues
The proposals were discussed with Brighton & Hove City Council, LGBTQ+ venue operators and Sussex Police & Licensing on 7 September.
The council has committed to immediate and longer-term action, including restoring eight Night Safety Marshals, reviewing lighting and CCTV, making the LGBTQ+ Quarter more visible, improving year-round promotion and developing a wider nightlife economy strategy.
Chris Ward, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, described queer nightlife as “the fabric of our city”.
Chris Ward welcomes the campaign
“They are businesses and employers, but they are also safe spaces, community hubs and a huge part of what makes Brighton such a special place to live and visit,” he said.
“The recent loss and threatened closure of venues should be a wake-up call. We cannot simply assume that Brighton’s LGBTQ+ nightlife will always be there without doing the work needed to protect it.”
Supporting the campaign, he declared: “I’ll continue to work with local businesses and partners to make the case for the support and investment needed to ensure Brighton remains the proud, welcoming LGBTQ+ capital of the UK for generations to come.”