Eats

Award-winning cocktail bar in Manchester announces shock closure

'Although the doors will close, the memories and the pride we share, will remain'

Daisy Jackson - 24th August 2026

Red Light, a Manchester cocktail bar that’s been named as one of the best in the UK, has announced its shock closure.

The beautiful bar on the cobbled Little David Street has said that ‘this Pride will be our last’, with the doors set to close for good on Sunday.

Red Light opened its doors at Kampus in 2023, an inclusive space with great drinks, events, and DJs.

The bar was the brainchild of Deana Ferguson, an adopted Manc originally hailing from Belfast, who created a cosy, welcoming space with a fantastic martini.

But now, the Red Light team have announced that they have just days remaining in their home.

They wrote that ‘sustained financial headwinds’ are partly to blame, along with the challenges presented by operating a late-night venue in a residential area.

Red Light in Manchester has announced its closure

The beautiful bar is on Little David Street at Kampus in Manchester — Red Light in Manchester has announced its closure

In a heartbreaking statement, Red Light wrote: “For so many years, this bar has been more than a place to drink. It has been a home, a dance floor, a refuge, and a place where people could find friendship, freedom, love, and themselves.

“We are immensely proud of the community that has grown within these walls, and grateful to every person who has been part of it.”

The statement went on to thank the DJs, performers, neighbours and friends who ‘made this bar what it was’.

Red Light added: “We want our final Pride to celebrate everything we have created together. Come raise a glass, fill the dance floor, and help us give this place the joyful, unapologetically queer farewell it deserves.

“We hope to see you over the weekend, for one last Pride together.”