A new LGBT+ themed nightclub has opened in Lancaster town centre called Generation. It opened on Saturday 29th September, in the building where Tequila bar Chupito and nightclub Bentley’s once were. Generation is owned by the same management as Hustle, a well-established Lancaster club, but management intend for the venue to have a distinct feeling and atmosphere from Hustle.
The club has been completely redecorated with new side rooms downstairs, glittery walls and upstairs there is a cage for club goers to dance in, next to a light up rainbow dance floor. The management is also intending on fitting poles upstairs for punters to try their hand at pole dancing. Generation also plans to hire local and regional LGBT+ drag performers and DJs to showcase queer talent and draw people to feel comfortable in their space. Newly added gender-neutral toilets and karaoke facilities are other major changes to the space. Private rooms in the venue can be booked by contacting the Generation Facebook page.
Generation’s management, when asked about their choice of name, said, “We thought about a lot of names but we wanted to go with this one. The idea was that the club would be a space for people across the generations and a place to celebrate”. They intend for Generation to become more than a club, also operating as a space in the daytime for people to have lunch and as a centre for Lancaster’s LGBT+ community.
The opening night started with a pre-opening party attended by members of Lancaster’s community and staff from Out in the Bay, a Morecambe-based vulnerable people’s non-profit organisation. Generation’s opening was well attended by students and locals alike, with a wide selection of music played. To help christen the opening of the club, Danny Beard (a legend of the Manchester drag scene) was in attendance and mixed with punters, creating a buzz of interest with those both familiar and unfamiliar with Beard’s work.
The club received high praise from those attending its opening night, with some customers calling it ‘fantastic’ and ‘welcoming and friendly for all.’ Another said that the venue was ‘amazing’ and ‘a breath of fresh air to the Lancaster nightlife’.
Generation will be open most days of the week and remains open until 4am, with entry costing £5. Free entry cards are also available for £5 allowing regulars to save money on entry fees. The club offers a wide range of drinks, including a selection of mocktails to make the venue more inclusive.
Callum Baines, part of the management of Hustle and Generation, said of the club’s opening night: “We are excited, we are nervous, we are positive and we are all inclusive, I think that’s the best way to put it”. He continued to explain that Generation’s key aim is to create a “safe haven for people and to keep fighting for acceptance in our community”.
