Plans for a "much needed" gay bar in Swansea have suffered an unexpected setback after the landlord of the building the bar was set to open in put it up for sale. The people behind Main Stage Cardiff, a popular gay bar in the capital, announced at Swansea Pride last month that they were preparing to open a cabaret bar in Swansea's Wind Street later this summer.
The venue was set to open at 27 Wind Street, a long-term empty unit which was briefly the home of Au Vodka's temporary pop-up bar last month, and contracts had been exchanged in recent days, staff at Main Stage explained on social media. Now, the team are having to search for a new venue that's suitable for Main Stage and in-budget.
In an update on social media, staff at Main Stage explained: "We would like to let everyone know we have had some disappointing news that while we waited trying to obtain a premises license suitable for our needs at our new venue, the landlord didn't send to us the transfer form needed by the council and, since, the landlord has decided to sell the complete building and stopped all the legal work." To get the latest What's On newsletters from WalesOnline, click here.
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The statement continued: "We have since tried to do a deal on another venue which the landlord there decided he doesn't want a bar run from it. We are waiting to hear about another two properties that would suit our use and we will update everyone once everything is confirmed. We will come to Swansea!"
Co-owner of Main Stage, Martin Jones, told WalesOnline that he and business partner Marc Scofield had begun to explore other options for their bar but were struggling to find something in budget. Rent at one available Wind Street unit was more than £80,000 per year, he said, and at a unit in Little Wind Street was around £60,000 - both much too high for the business.
"It's so disappointing. We had the contract and we sent it to their solicitors and then we heard the landlord was selling the building," Martin said. "So we lost the venue."
"We've looked at a few others - some people have been really helpful telling us about empty units - but the rent is too much for us at the ones we've seen. We'd ideally like to be in the Wind Street area, we want to be near other bars. We bought all our decorations and signage and that's going to have to go into storage until we have a new place. We definitely will be coming to Swansea - it's just a question of where and when now!"
Martin and Marc previously explained that it was many of their regular customers at their Cardiff bar that led them to plan a Swansea venue. "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 last month "Main Stage Swansea will be a gay bar with cabaret performances - and there's a real need for it here."
"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."
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