Swansea's Wind Street will soon be home to a glamorous new cabaret bar, it's been confirmed. The people behind Main Stage, a cabaret bar in Cardiff, have said they'll be opening a venue at 27 Wind Street (next to Founders and Co.) later this summer and that it will provide a welcoming and safe space for the local LGBTQ+ community - and will host regular cabaret shows by popular local drag queens.
Main Stage has operated a gay bar and cabaret venue in Cardiff for more than three years, 18 months of which have been at its current location in St Mary Street. Business partners and best friends, Martin Jones and Marc Scofield, said the bar had become so popular they'd been looking to open a second one for quite some time - and that several customers felt a new gay venue was needed in Swansea.
"We've had Main Stage Cardiff for three years now, it's been so successful and we really wanted to expand," Martin told WalesOnline at Swansea Pride. "Main Stage Swansea will be a gay bar with cabaret performances - and there's a real need for it here." To get the latest What's On newsletters from WalesOnline, click here
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"A few years ago, there were four or five gay bars in Swansea - now there's not as many. We've had a lot of customers come and see us in Cardiff, from Swansea, so felt opening a bar in Swansea would be the right place!" he added. "Main Stage will host cabaret shows with drag queens every Friday and Saturday and we'll have events and drag karaoke in the week. There will also be 'camp bingo' and we plan to work with Swansea Pride to host monthly fundraising evenings too."
"We want to be a friendly, safe space where we and our staff will get to know our customers," added Marc. "There's been so much interest for the venue - it's so needed. It'll be somewhere people can go and just be themselves. We're trying to put the LGBTQ+ community back on the Swansea map! We want to give people a home - we're all about creating a family atmosphere.
"It'll be a safe space for people - and we want everyone to feel welcome. There might be people who want to come in on their own - they're welcome! They can just walk in and sit at the bar and speak to staff, if they want to. We can offer support as well, if that's what people want."
As well as brilliant entertainment and a safe space for people in the LGBTQ+ community, Main Stage will also be home to a vibrant bar serving a wide variety of drinks including craft beers, spirits and cocktails.
Main Stage Swansea will fill a Wind Street unit that's been empty for several years and previously housed a branch of the Metropolitan Bank of England and Wales. Au Vodka has set up a temporary pop-up bar there, which will have the space for around six weeks - before the Main Stage team take on the unit permanently. Martin and Marc hope to open Main Stage Swansea to the public in July/August this year.
They plan for the venue to be open from 6pm to midnight during the week, 6pm to 1am on Sundays and 6pm to 3am on Fridays and Saturdays. Further details about the bar - and photos from inside - will be shared on WalesOnline nearer the time.
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