Brighton LGBTQ+ venue The Queery closes permanently citing 'longstanding issues' and financial pressures

The Queery, the Brighton LGBTQ+ community café, bookshop and event space, has closed permanently after members voted to dissolve the co-operative that operated it.

The decision was taken at the organisation's Annual General Meeting on 31 May 2026.

Announcing the closure, the co-operative said: "This decision was not taken lightly."

It said the move followed discussion of "long-term cultural, organisational and financial issues which had been repeatedly raised over time and remained unresolved".

As a result, the organisation confirmed that "all event bookings have been cancelled and the space will not reopen for trading".

The statement added: "We know this news may be upsetting, disappointing or difficult for many people in our community."

The Queery said it was working with insolvency professionals as part of the closure process and sought to reassure artists, makers and others with property at the venue.

It said: "No personal items, items included in our current gallery display, or items on consignment sale in the shop will be moved, damaged, or disposed of."

The co-operative added that it was working "to ensure proper procedures are followed, including the return of any items that do not belong to The Queery as quickly and safely as possible".

Artists, authors, makers, suppliers and others with items stored at the venue have been asked to contact the organisation to arrange their return.

Reflecting on the venue's legacy, the statement said: "The Queery was founded with good intentions, and over the years it offered many people shelter, friendship, creativity, connection and care."

The co-operative also thanked "everyone who supported, volunteered in, visited, donated to, performed at, organised within or otherwise helped shape the space".

However, the statement also contained a frank assessment of the challenges faced by the organisation.

"At the same time, we must acknowledge that The Queery also faced longstanding issues," it said.

The co-operative said those issues included "operating in ways that did not always reflect its stated values, causing harm to members of the community it sought to serve, and contributing to the loss of volunteers, visitors and trust".

It concluded that those problems, together with wider economic pressures, made closure unavoidable.

"These issues, alongside the financial pressures faced by many physical community spaces, mean that we do not believe it would be responsible for the co-operative to continue operating."

The Queery had become a well-known fixture within Brighton's LGBTQ+ community, hosting events, workshops, exhibitions and social gatherings alongside its café and bookshop.