> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Brighton LGBTQ+ venue R-Bar closes for good as owners warn of "crisis" facing queer nightlife - URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/brighton-lgbtq-venue-r-bar-closes-for-good-as-owners-warn-of-crisis-facing-queer-nightlife/ - Published: 2026-09-21T11:07:55.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-21T11:07:55.000Z - Author: Graham Robson - Tags: News One of Brighton's best-known LGBTQ+ venues has closed its doors for the final time, with its owners warning that queer spaces are disappearing at an "alarming rate" and calling on the community to help protect the city's nightlife. **R-Bar**, the sister venue to iconic Brighton nightclub **Revenge**, welcomed customers for a final week of events before shutting permanently on Sunday. Announcing the closure, Team Revenge described the decision as "heartbreaking" and thanked the generations of staff, performers, DJs, promoters and customers who helped make the venue a fixture of Brighton's LGBTQ+ scene. "Yesterday, we closed the doors of R-Bar for the final time," the team said in a statement. "Whether you visited us once or spent half your life propping up the bar, you helped make R-Bar what it was, and we're incredibly grateful." The closure marks the latest blow to Brighton's LGBTQ+ nightlife, which has seen a number of venues struggle in recent years amid rising operating costs, changing social habits and wider pressures on the hospitality sector. In an emotional farewell message, the operators said the response from customers since announcing the closure had underlined the importance of dedicated queer spaces. "Reading the hundreds of heartfelt comments since we announced R-Bar's closure has been genuinely moving," they said. "They've also been a reminder that LGBTQ+ spaces like R-Bar really can be a sanctuary for our community. Once these spaces disappear, they are incredibly difficult to replace." Despite the loss of R-Bar, the owners said they remain committed to Brighton's LGBTQ+ nightlife and are investing their efforts into Revenge, which celebrates its 35th anniversary later this year. The team said they plan to expand the range of events hosted at Revenge while continuing to create spaces for LGBTQ+ communities to socialise, celebrate and connect. "We're now putting all of our energy into making Revenge as special as it possibly can be," the statement said. "Improving what we already do, while opening the venue up to a much bigger variety of events and experiences for our community." The operators also revealed they have begun lobbying local authorities about the challenges facing LGBTQ+ venues in Brighton, saying action is needed if the city is to retain its reputation as one of the UK's leading queer destinations. They said they hope to work with **Brighton & Hove City Council**, **Sussex Police**, licensing officials and fellow venue operators to tackle what they described as a growing crisis affecting both LGBTQ+ venues and the wider night-time economy. The statement also urged local people to support campaigns aimed at protecting nightlife and to continue spending money in LGBTQ+ venues where possible. "When you see calls for support for changes that could help Brighton's venues, please share them, sign them and make your voice heard," the team said. "Local authorities need to understand just how important these spaces are." Acknowledging the ongoing cost-of-living pressures facing many people, the operators added: "We know that times are tough. Going out is expensive, and for many people it simply isn't possible as often as it once was. But when you do have a little spare money for a few drinks, a dance, a show, or a night with friends, please consider spending it in LGBTQ+ venues whenever you can." While describing the closure as the end of an era, the team insisted they remain optimistic about the future. "So while yesterday was the end of R-Bar, we're determined that it isn't the beginning of the end for queer nightlife in Brighton."