Crossbar Brighton – The UK’s first dedicated women’s sports bar
Brighton made sporting history. On February 6, when Crossbar Brighton opened on Upper North Street as the UK’s first dedicated women’s sports bar – and if early signs are anything to go by, the city was more than ready. Tables for its Winter Olympic-themed launch night sold out in just four minutes, a clear sign that demand for women’s sport is not only growing, it’s booming.
The opening of Crossbar lands at a moment when women’s sport is enjoying record audiences, rising investment and long overdue visibility. Brighton has played its part in that surge. The city hosted matches during the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, welcomed fixtures in the Women’s Rugby World Cup and staged England v New Zealand in women’s international cricket this year. Add to that our own WSL side, Brighton & Hove Albion Women, and the council’s ambition to position Brighton as the UK capital for women and girls in sport.
Founded by Lucy and Pippa Tallant, Crossbar has been designed as a permanent home for fans who are tired of hunting for a screen showing their team. Open from 9:00, it operates as a relaxed daytime coffee spot before shifting gears into a multi-room, multi-screen sports destination by night. The venue spans three spaces, Crossbar, The Clubhouse and The Boot Room, with eight screens, multi-sport programming, a curated wine list, draft beers and sharing boards. Women’s sport takes priority, but men’s fixtures will also be shown, with flexibility to accommodate requests.
Community is central to the concept. Grassroots teams will be offered free use of function rooms for meetings and post-match socials, while shirts and memorabilia celebrate local and international talent. Crossbar is also the only venue outside Manchester to serve Boxx2Boxx coffee, co-founded by Jill Scott and Shelley Unitt.
Dog-friendly, inclusive and focused on women’s sport, Crossbar Brighton looks set to become the go-to women’s clubhouse our city and the UK has been waiting for.
www.crossbarbrighton.com | 22-23 Upper North Street, Brighton BN1 3FG
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