Iconic Brighton LGBTQ+ venue set to close after 25 years

The beloved Brighton gay bar Charles Street Tap is shutting its doors in September as its lease comes to an end, with the venue's general manager calling the closure heartbreaking.

Charles Street Tap, a cornerstone of Brighton's LGBTQ+ scene, has announced it will close in mid-September after 25 years. The venue's general manager shared the news on Facebook, saying the lease is coming to an end and the building will be returned to the landlords.

The exact final date has not yet been confirmed. In the emotional announcement, the manager described the bar as "a small part of the beating heart of Brighton's LGBTQIA+ community" and said saying goodbye was heartbreaking.

Charles Street Tap, formerly known as just Charles Street, has been a fixture on Marine Parade in Brighton's Gay Village. The seafront venue is known for its award-winning cabaret shows, craft beers and gins, with events running seven nights a week.

The venue is operated by Stonegate, the UK's largest operator of LGBTQ+ venues. Its portfolio includes several well known names on the scene, among them Two Brewers in Clapham, Via in Manchester, and a cluster of Soho venues including the Admiral Duncan, Comptons and Rupert Street. The group has said it runs a dedicated LGBTQ+ division to help protect the identity and community role of these spaces while operating them commercially.

The closure also lands against a backdrop of wider financial strain at Stonegate itself. The pub group has lost almost £650 million over the past three years and is carrying billions in debt, and has brought in restructuring firm FRP Advisory to help reinforce its long-term resilience.

The company has been weighing asset sales to ease a debt burden that topped £2.2 billion, despite a £250 million cash injection from owner TDR Capital in 2024. It's not clear whether Charles Street Tap's closure is directly tied to that wider pressure, given the manager pointed to the lease simply coming to an end, but it comes at a time when the group is under significant financial scrutiny

The general manager, who has run the venue for 20 years, paid tribute to staff past and present. Deputy Manager Ed Stocker was singled out for his 22 years of service to the bar.

The closure comes at a difficult time for LGBTQ+ venues across the UK, with rising costs and economic pressures forcing many community spaces to shut. In the Facebook post, the manager said "the loss of one of our safe spaces should always be mourned" but urged people to celebrate the venue's history and the difference it has made.

Charles Street Tap won Brighton's Favourite Cabaret Venue at the Golden Handbags awards for three consecutive years. The bar hosts everything from drag quizzes to DJ nights and Sunday roasts with live entertainment.

We have approached Stonegate for comment.