One of Brighton's best-known LGBTQ+ venues is set to close its doors after 25 years, with management announcing that Charles Street Tap will cease trading when its lease comes to an end in September.
In an emotional statement shared with customers, General Manager Chris Marshall confirmed that the venue's lease would expire in mid-September and that the building would be returned to its landlords. A final closing date has not yet been announced.
The seafront bar, formerly known simply as Charles Street, has been a longstanding fixture of Brighton's LGBTQ+ scene and has played a prominent role in the city's nightlife and community life since opening in 2001.
Announcing the closure, Chris described the loss of the venue as the end of an important chapter for Brighton's LGBTQ+ community.
"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, the difference it made to so many people should be so celebrated, shouted about and never forgotten."
Chris has served as the venue's General Manager for the past 20 years and said Charles Street Tap had become far more than simply a workplace.
"It is so much more than where I work. It is where I live, it is my home and it is part of who I am," he said. "This has been an incredible life-changing experience, with so many magical and amazing memories. It breaks my heart to say goodbye."
Paying tribute to the staff who have worked at the venue over the years, Chris said he was "so proud" of the generations of bar staff and managers who had helped make Charles Street Tap a welcoming space for customers and the wider community.
Among those singled out for special thanks were Deputy Manager Ed Stocker, who has worked at Charles Street for 22 years, and drag performer Dame Sally Vate, described by Chris as the venue's "resident drag mother" and one of its most recognisable faces over the past 18 years.
Chris also thanked the venue's cabaret performers, DJs, promoters, security staff and cleaners, as well as the customers who supported the business over the past quarter of a century.
"Throughout we tried to be different, we tried to do things well and we tried to bring joy," he said. "I hope at some point we succeeded to do that for you. Thank you."
The closure will mark the loss of another established LGBTQ+ venue in Brighton, a city widely recognised for its vibrant queer community and nightlife. Further details about Charles Street Tap's final weeks and closing date are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
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