Cheer Up Charlies, the only queer bar in Austin not specifically catering to men, is set to close on Aug. 31 unless it can pay overdue rent, the owners announced Thursday on Instagram.
The bar and performance venue has hosted drag shows and musicians in Austin for 16 years.
“For those of you that see our videos of packed out weekend nights, just know that a venue our size cannot operate and be sustainable on just 2 nights a week,” the post read.
Cheer Up Charlies is behind on two and a half months of rent, according to the post, and it needs $58,000 to stay in business. The owners are asking the community to help out. The bar has two online fundraisers active, both of which already have thousands of dollars in donations.
This is not the first time Cheer Up Charlies has turned to the community for support. Last year, the bar announced it was on the brink of closing. Gabriela Bucio — the owner of Mala Vida, Mala Fama and Taquero Mucho — stepped in to help.
“When we put out the news that we were struggling, Gabby was one of the first to reach out," the bar posted on Instagram in February 2024, "and has been so generous in helping us raise funds and awareness about not only red river cultural district but the changing landscape of small businesses and queer-owned businesses specifically in Austin.”
This time around, the owners said, they might not get the same relief.
“We’ve done everything we can to enlist emergency funding but we get it," the post said. "That this just might be the end.”
