A beloved gay venue in Manchester, UK, has been taken over by new owners. KIKI opened in 2013 in the city’s gay village. It boasted a bar and the VOID nightclub in its basement. However, on January 17, the venue posted a message to its Facebook page informing regulars it was to close.
“This post is not an easy one to write, however it is with a heavy heart that KIKI & VOID will be closing its doors for the last time at the end of trade this Sunday (Jan 19). We have sold to Stonegate and wish them the best with the venue.
“It has been an amazing and exciting 6 years of becoming established on this little old street we call home.”
The posting has prompted over 2,000 comments, with many lamenting the venue’s sudden closure.
Stonegate is one of the UK’s most established operators of bars and it already owns several successful LGBTQ venues. This includes Rupert Street and The Two Brewers in Clapham, London. GayCities wrote about the latter recently when it planned a 12-hour drag marathon to raise money to help fight the Australian bushfires.
Stonegate has confirmed that it’s hoping to relaunch the new venue on February, 18, 2020. It will be called The Brewers but will operate as a separate entity to the Two Brewers in London.
Related: Gay bars in Manchester
A spokesperson for Stonegate Pub Company said in a statement to GayCities:
“We are excited to confirm that the former KIKI & VOID venue in Manchester’s Gay Village will re-open next month as The Brewers.
“With a new look and events program we know the city’s LBGTQ+ community will love, a variety of club nights and entertainment will take place upstairs throughout the week. Downstairs the VOID room will become Club Brewers, with a regular schedule of drag, comedy, burlesque and cabaret shows.
“Half a million pound investment will see this venue transform and our team can’t wait to unveil it to customers, be they loyal fans or those that join us for the first time.”
The Brewers will be at 4 Canal Street, Manchester, UK, M1 3HE.
