Getty ImagesOne of central London’s main LGBTQ+ bars will close down, with its owner saying that Soho’s Old Compton Street has lost its “LGBT identity”.
G-A-Y Bar owner Jeremy Joseph said in a post on Instagram that it was “time to say goodbye” to the venue.
In January, Mr Joseph said the bar would go on sale after his other venue, Heaven nightclub, was temporarily closed when a member of security staff was accused of raping a woman. The staff member was found not-guilty.
With the closure of G-A-Y Bar, Mr Joseph said he would focus his efforts on the nightclub in Charing Cross, adding: “I hope to continue making Heaven a second home for so many LGBT+ people.”
‘It was a community’
Explaining his decision to close the bar, Mr Joseph said: “Old Compton Street has been my home and my work.
“When I opened G-A-Y Bar, it was to be one of the safest and most proudly LGBT streets – a place where you could be who you are and feel safe.
“For me, Old Compton Street has lost that LGBT identity.
“Old Compton Street wasn’t just a street, it was a community together as one. But sadly that’s not Old Compton Street anymore.”
Mr Joseph thanked Soho Estates, landlord of G-A-Y Bar, for allowing the venue to be rent free while it was closed in the pandemic.
“Soho Estates need full credit for keeping Soho’s venues going,” he said.
“And now they have stepped up again. Soho Estates, knowing how damaging the last four years have been, have given me the opportunity to leave and concentrate on Heaven.”
In February 2024, Mr Joseph said that Heaven’s landlord, The Arch Company, wanted to put rent up “by another £240,000”, on top of an £80,000 automatic increase.
Mr Joseph said that following a two-year process, and costs of more than £100,000, a rent review arbitration result had gone in Heaven’s favour.
“The truth is, the arbitration outcome was the defining factor in whether Heaven remains a viable business or not,” he said.
The nightclub will face a rent increase, but “it’s doable”, he said.
Mr Joseph added that he recognised the closure of G-A-Y Bar was not good news, but that its closure would allow him to focus on keeping Heaven open.
“As of today, I hope to continue making Heaven a second home for so many LGBT+ people,” he said.