The venue in Kentish Town Road lies empty 

THE sudden closure of a drag and cabaret bar has shocked campaigners, who say that “Camden now has not a single queer venue left”.

Her Upstairs, a venue in Kentish Town Road which described itself as being “synonymous with Camden LGBTQ+ scene”, abruptly closed last week.

Management said they could not explain the decision for “legal reasons”, but added: “We regret that we have had to do this so abruptly and without giving our incredible community a chance to say goodbye to the space.”

Her Upstairs, which replaced Bloc Bar on the same site, emerged out of a gap created by the controversial closure in 2015 of the Black Cap, a historic venue in Camden High Street which had been at the heart of London’s drag and cabaret scene.

The Black Cap Foundation, which continues to campaign for the survival of the venue, said the closure of Her Upstairs left the borough’s nightlife scene in a “shameful” situation.

“Camden used to be a vibrant centre of LGBTQ+ activism, creativity and culture. If there’s anywhere our artists and communities should be safe and flourishing, it’s here.

“It’s shameful that Camden now has not a single queer venue left,” it said in a statement.

Councillor Danny Beales, Camden’s regeneration chief, said it was “another big loss to Camden and the LGBT community as a whole”.

He added: “The council remains committed to supporting the LGBT community and doing all we can to protect venues.”