New Brighton LGBT+ bar The Birdcage opening on seafront

The Birdcage, at 11-12 Marine Parade in Kemp Town — next to the Amsterdam Hotel — has been taken over by South African-born couple Sean and Mathys Pettit-Scheepers, who moved to Brighton around two and a half years ago.

The space was previously home to the Centre Stage bar, which closed in April last year.

The bar's new exterior (Image: NQ)

The new owners are keen to honour the site's history while carving out a distinctive identity of their own.

"We wanted to make sure that we kept this as a safe space for the entire community," said Sean Pettit-Scheepers, who serves as managing director and business owner alongside his husband Mathys, the operations director.

The bar is having a grand opening launch party this Saturday (May 16) from 5pm, with cabaret artists performing on the night. The event is open to the general public.

Mathys and Sean celebrate opening the Birdcage (Image: Supplied)

While drag cabaret will feature, the couple are clear that it will not define The Birdcage.

Pub quizzes, murder mystery evenings, queer comedy nights and Sunday DJ sessions are all planned, with a deliberate effort to showcase a wider range of talent — including drag kings alongside drag queens.

Heading up entertainment and social media is Harry Casella, also known by his drag persona Mary O'Kart, who brings years of experience on Brighton's performance circuit.

Harry Casella, aka Mary O'Kart, is in charge of entertainment at the new venue (Image: Harry Casella)

Sean is particularly proud of the venue's new stage.

"We feel like other than Charles Street, it's probably the biggest stage in Brighton for performers in queer bars that there is to offer," he said.

The pair have taken a very grassroots approach to launching the business, conducting a soft opening over recent weeks and actively seeking feedback from customers — including on their cocktail menu and entertainment choices.

The bar is fully stocked and ready to go (Image: Supplied)

"It's not just our vision," said Sean. "We're here to create a space for people, and that feedback that we get is what drives us forward."

As part of the launch, a special fundraising event will benefit QueerWell, the national LGBT+ mental health charity that offers free or low-cost therapy, coaching and workshops.

The Birdcage is also partnering with Lunch Positive, a Brighton-based weekly lunch club for people living with HIV.

The front garden overlooking the seafront (Image: Supplied)

For Sean and Mathys, both originally from South Africa, the venture carries a deeper personal meaning.

Having grown up in a country where being queer was widely stigmatised, and having found a warm welcome in Brighton, they describe The Birdcage as a way of giving back.

"People can just come and be authentically themselves, and unapologetically," said Sean.

Sean works globally for Coca-Cola, overseeing digital advertising across the company's portfolio of brands, while Mathys has spent the past two years working on Brighton's bar scene - a combination the couple believe gives them a strong foundation.

The bar will have an official launch party on May 16 (Image: Supplied)

The pair say they fell in love with Brighton after a single New Year's Eve visit, having originally made the trip simply to avoid the chaos of central London.

What they found instead was a city that felt like home.

Sean cites everything from the open-air events in the parks and art exhibitions to the Komedia comedy club as reasons they rarely feel the need to venture far.

He contrasts the city's warmth directly with London, where he still works several days a week.

"I find London can be a bit harsh - people are so in that corporate mode that they don't often look out," he said.

"Everyone here just seems to be wonderful."

Mathys, left, and Sean, the bar's new owners (Image: Supplied)

Since settling in Bevendean, the couple say they have built close friendships and found a community that embraced them from the start — making the decision to invest in The Birdcage feel less like a business move and more like a natural next step.

"We've been accepted, we've found the most phenomenal friends, we found the most phenomenal community," said Sean, "and for us, just to be able to be a part of that community and give back to it, has been very important."

The Birdcage grand opening is on Saturday, May 16 from 5pm at 11-12 Marine Parade, Brighton. All are welcome.