Welcome to RVT Future

Hello and welcome to RVT Future – ensuring a thriving future for the UK’s oldest LGBTQ pub and iconic performance space.

The Royal Vauxhall Tavern in south London is believed to be the oldest continually operating LGBTQ community venue in the UK – built around 1860, it has been a space for LGBTQ drinking, socialising and cabaret since the post-war years.

A haven before decriminalisation, a crucial hub during the Aids crisis, a thriving site of culture and community today.

It’s the last vestige of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, where modern leisure culture was born. It’s where a police raid provoked Lily Savage to start a riot. And it’s where Freddie Mercury and Kenny Everett brought Princess Diana for a night out – dressed as a boy.

Now the pub has been bought by property developers who won’t reveal their intentions. We want to take steps to defend the place we love now instead of waiting to see what they have in store and perhaps losing this unique venue forever.

We are happy that so far, since the sale, it has been business as usual at the RVT. While RVT Future is entirely independent from the Tavern’s owners and operators, the current management team have our full support and we share their aspiration of maintaing the venue as a successful, sustainable business with community values at its heart.

This site will act as a hub for everything concerning the campaign.

Here you can read our mission statement, find out the latest news, peruse the history of the Tavern and learn what our hopes for the future are.

You can join our mailing list to keep you up to date with any developments in the campaign.

And if you have any comments or suggestions, or would like to volunteer any information or skills, you can contact us via hello@rvt.community.

We believe that if our community stands together we can effect real change.

Find out more

What we believe
Making the RVT a listed building
10 reasons to love the RVT
The RVT’s history in pictures