Black Cap Camden LGBTQ+ venue set to reopen
Plans have been lodged to revamp the legendary gay bar which closed in 2015
By Dale Fox
The legendary Black Cap pub in London’s Camden is set to reopen, following a nine-year-long campaign after its closure in 2015.
Plans have been lodged at Camden Town Hall for a “revamped LGBTQ+ bar, performance space and bed and breakfast,” the Camden New Journal reported.
The Black Cap is believed to have been built in the 1700s. It became a popular LGBTQ+ venue in the 1960s and has hosted many popular drag performers, including Lily Savage.
It was closed in 2015 after the building’s previous owners announced it would be redeveloped into flats. A week after the venue was shuttered, crowds gathered outside to protest its closure, and campaigners have been there every week since.
“It has been a massive win” – campaigner Alex Green
Alex Green, of campaign group Black Cap Community, told the Camden New Journal that both he and the new owners “are really excited.”
“It has been a massive win to have people sitting down round the table with the same aims – to get The Black Cap back in the way it should be.”
He added: “It has been a partnership. We have worked closely with Camden Council, who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes and done everything they possibly could for years.
“The Camden community have worked so hard and the representatives of the new owners have been excellent.”
According to the plans, the venue will be revamped but will still retain its original appearance. Its upper floors could be used to house staff or performers.
The Black Cap has also seen a host of RuPaul’s Drag Race stars perform there over the years, including Trixie Mattel, Bianca Del Rio and Adore Delano.