How the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the scene.
We’re living in uncertain times, that’s for sure. But the scene goes on. Here’s what’s going on in London’s LGBTQ+ venues during the pandemic:
Bars & Clubs
The Royal Vauxhall Tavern OPEN
“The Night Time Industries Association of which we are a member have advised not to voluntarily close the business unless we are strictly forced to do so by a competent authority. This is the position Royal Vauxhall Tavern will adopt, but we must stress, if you have an underlying medical condition then you need to stay at home.”
372 Kennington Ln, Vauxhall SE11 5HY.
Halfway to Heaven OPEN
“We are OPEN for now. We await further instruction and advice from the government and we will act accordingly. Be safe. Wash your hands. Phone a friend.”
7 Duncannon Street, Charing Cross WC2N 4JF.
Freedom Bar OPEN
“We wish to say a big thank you to all our wonderful customers who have continued to support us during these difficult times. As an independent business, we are reliant on the support of the Freedom community and we will be remaining open until such a time there are mandatory government closures. We have revised our internal procedures to ensure strict compliance with this guidance. So while we are able, we will follow the mantra: The Show Must Go On!”
66 Wardour Street, Soho W1F 0TA.
George & Dragon OPEN
“This independent business (not financially backed or company-owned) will continue to support the LGBT+ community and the people who rely on us financially for as long as we are allowed! PLEASE COME AND PANIC BUY HERE!”
2 Blackheath Hill, Greenwich SE10 8DE.
Duke of Wellington OPEN
“The Duke of Wellington is open. We stand ready to follow government advice as it is announced. In the meantime, wash your hands.”
77 Wardour St, Soho, London W1D 6QA.
Retro Bar OPEN
“Self-isolation is fine but isolation can also be damaging so, for the time being at least, we are carrying on with our Tuesday night Quiz as many of us could use a laugh at the moment. Tomorrow is St Patrick’s Day so come and join Princess Julia for an Irish-themed journey through films, music, TV and more. The Guinness is on tap and the craic is guaranteed.”
2 George Court, Charing Cross WC2N 6HH.
The Glory CLOSED
“It is with great sadness that we will be closing our doors for the foreseeable future and postponing all scheduled events. Of course, we are all hoping that the situation improves soon and we can re-open the door and welcome back our community, but right now, it’s about staying safe and healthy and looking out for each other. Please follow our social media for updates and let’s keep our community alive during this testing time.”
281 Kingsland Rd, Haggerston E2 8AS.
Little Ku, Klub, Light Lounge & She Soho CLOSED
“It is with regret that we announce the closure of the following venues. She Soho, Little, Ku, The Light Lounge and Klub. This is in response to government advice on social distancing and we hope to be back open soon. Stay safe and well.”
Various locations.
Dalston Superstore CLOSED
“Dalston Superstore will not be open for the foreseeable future. We tried opening with additional safety measures this past weekend (including running at 65% capacity) but clearly this won’t cut it. We do not believe that genuine social distancing is physically possible in a venue like ours at night.”
117 Kingsland High St, Dalston E8 2PB.
“We have been working closely with Public Health England for advice and updates and with the steady rise in cases and the stress on the health system we feel the time is right to protect our customers and staff from this ongoing threat and close the venue.”
349 Kennington Lane, Vauxhall SE11 5QY.
G-A-Y Bar and G-A-Y Heaven CLOSED
“No Clarity, No Shutdown. But we’ve decided we no longer feel comfortable being open, so G-A-Y will be closed until further notice.”
Charing Cross and 30 Old Compton Street, Soho W1D 4UR.
The Backstreet CLOSDED
“The Backstreet is now closed until this crisis passes. We care about our customers and staff, and feel this is the responsible thing to do. Please check our social media regularly for updates. We’d like to thank all our customers for their support. We wish you good health and happiness in these difficult times.”
Wentworth Mews, Mile End E3 4SP.
Theatres
Above The Stag Theatre CLOSED
“Following advice from the government, we will close to audiences and staff for the foreseeable future in order to avoid contributing to the spread of COVID-19. It is an unfortunate decision, however, the health and safety of our patrons and team is of paramount importance to us. We will be contacting ticket holders shortly regarding refunds and/or exchanges.”
72 Albert Embankment, Vauxhall 7TP.
King’s Head Theatre Pub CLOSED
“At times like this the world can seem frightening and we know the power of spaces like theatre to be unifying powers in the darkness. For free, every weekday at 1 pm for 30 minutes, we will be streaming a different window into the theatre accessible to everybody: our entire community, from artists to audiences to just Facebook followers, we can stay connected and we can develop together.”
115 Upper Street, The Angel N1 1QN.
The Pleasance CLOSED
“All performances during March and April have been cancelled as a precaution. However, our team is working hard to ensure that artists, audiences and all forms of entertainmetn continue to have a home at the Pleasance. We continue to make plans to present our 36th consecutive year on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August and hope you’ll join us there.”
Carpenters Mews, North Road N7 9EF.
Events
And What Queer Arts Festival CANCELLED
“It’s with great sadness – but probably little surprise – that we let you know that And What? Queer Arts Festival has officially been cancelled. If you have bought tickets for events venues will be contacting you directly, often with the option of donating your ticket costs to the artists or venue itself to support the cultural sector in these difficult days.”
TROUGH London CANCELLED
“We have decided to close down and postpone the New School edition party this Saturday, March 21st. Every one of our events is very important to us, but the health and safety of our community is far more important.”
SBN, NBN, TFN (JamieHP) CANCELLED
“Out of concern for the safety and welfare of both our customers and staff during the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, all Jamie HP events will cease with immediate effect, for the foreseeable future. Whilst we have closely followed advice from Public Health England, and have sought to do everything possible to provide a safe space for customers to interact with each other, with the continuing increase in numbers affected by the illness we feel we have reached a point where a break, hopefully only a small one, is in the best interests of the club and it’s customers.”
JOCK Party CANCELLED
“Due to the increasing severity of the coronavirus, we have come to the decision to cancel/postpone all JOCK Party events throughout March, April and possibly May. Although current government recommendations is that we can go ahead, we feel we would be facilitating an increased risk to our community and the safety of our staff and customers is paramount.”
Saunas
PLEASUREDROME CLOSED
“During this time, Pleasuredrome will undergo maintenance and cosmetic improvements providing work for our core staff and so to ensure Pleasuredrome is nice and shiny when you return. We will closely monitor advice from the UK Government and act accordingly to ensure public health and safety.”
Arch, 124 Cornwall Road SE1 8XE.
SweatBox Soho CLOSED
“It is with great regret, sadness and a lot of anxiety that SweatBox has felt compelled to close its doors to the public until such time as the policy of Social Distancing has been lifted. The nature of gay saunas are specifically non-conducive to Social Distancing. Far more than pubs or cinemas.”
Ramillies House, 1-2 Ramillies Street W1F 7LN.
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