Beloved east London queer venue The Glory announces closure
East London gay bar The Glory has announced its closing, but will reopen in a brand new space before spring 2024. (The Glory/ Lyla Maeve)
East London queer venue The Glory has announced that it will be closing its doors next month.
The venue at 281 Kingsland Road in Haggerston, East London, offered unfiltered fun seven days a week, with LGBTQ+ arts events and drag shows being held frequently and Fridays and Saturdays seeing the bar turn into a nightclub.
Taking to social media on Wednesday (6 December), The Glory’s co-owners Jonny Woo, John Sizzle and Colin Rothbart announced that the bar would be closing the doors of the iconic venue “as we know it” on 31 January, 2024, acknowledging that the announced was upsetting to staff, performers, DJs and their “much-valued customers”.
However, despite the venue’s closure, there is some good news on the horizon, with a new venue set to open later in 2024 under the same ownership.
“We have decided to relocate as our building is finally being redeveloped and we simply can’t continue to operate as we’d like”, the statement read.
“After nine year here, it would be devastating if this were a last goodbye, but we have the keys to a new space close by and this brand-new venture will open before spring.”
The co-owners added that before closing the doors there is still two months of festive events and closing parties to be enjoyed.
“So, get down to The Glory and bid farewell to this legendary venue which our staff, performers, DJ’s and of course, all of you, have helped create,” the announcement added.
Countless comment under the bar’s Instagram post state “the end of an era”, with many writing that they’re excited for the new venture.
“As one Glory door closes another one will open,” one comment read.
On X someone called out further redevelopment happening in east London, but said they hope The Glory’s new space will be “equally as fabulous/chaotic/brilliant”.
Since its opening in 2014, The Glory has established itself as a hub for East London’s alternative queer drag scene, creaeing iconic drag king battle MAN UP and one of London’s largest and “most respected” drag contests, LIPSYNC1000!, where RuPaul’s Drag Race UK legend Bimini Bon Boulash started her career.
The Glory’s closure follows legendary London gay club G-A-Y Late announcing it will close its doors for the final time this Sunday (10 December).
In making the difficult decision, owner Jeremy Joseph cited increased attacks on staff and customers and difficulties posed by building works around the venue as the reason for closure.
PinkNews has contacted The Glory for comment.
