Kings Cross queer institution Grove Bar is closing for good this Friday in another blow for Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ nightlife.

The Darlinghurst Road venue opened in late 2021 just across from the train station and found its feet as the neighbourhood gay bar for the Cross when drag shows proved a hit with patrons.

The bar did roaring trade during Sydney WorldPride.

“We were so busy it was exhausting during WorldPride, but we were also doing backflips because we were so happy to see things that busy,” Grove Bar co-owner Beks told QNews in 2023.

However, the venue’s owners recently posted on social media that this Friday, August 7, will be its last hurrah, when it closes at midnight “or until the booze runs out.”

“We have been working tirelessly for the last five years to create a space where everybody feels welcome and at home when they walk through our doors, and we love every single person who made that possible,” the Grove Bar team explained in a statement on Instagram.

“Every drag artist, every performer, every DJ and every single community member has made Grove something we will be proud of forever.

Sydney’s shrinking queer nightlife

“But our time is up, and we are exhausted. Small business alone is hard in Sydney, but a queer hospitality small business in today’s Kings Cross is another level.

“That being said, Grove has been the most beautiful experience for all of us, and that is thanks to every one of you.

“Please continue to support small business and queer art/spaces. We love you all so much, Luke, Beks & Lil.”

Grove Bar will then open one last time on Wednesday, August 12, from 2 pm to 6 pm so that the contents of the bar can be sold, with almost everything up for sale including furniture, glassware, and board games.

Oxford Street institution Stonewall Hotel closed in March this year, but its spirit lives on at sister venue Stonewall Newtown in the old Kuteto’s bar building on King Street.

Redfern’s The Bearded Tit closed its doors in November.

Taylor Square’s ARQ nightclub briefly went straight when it changed hands in 2025 and was rebranded as Aura.

However, it went back to its old ARQ branding under a new management team in May this year after Aura’s owners entered into administration.

For the latest LGBTQIA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, and community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.