The very famous Soho strip club that is closing after nearly 100 years

London’s answer to Paris’ Moulin Rouge, the Windmill in Soho is one of the city’s oldest and most storied strip clubs. At least, it was. Now, after nearly a century of existence, it’s been forced to close. 

The Windmill became a strip club in 1930s and was London’s first club to have naked women on stage with the introduction of ‘Windmill Girls’ (nude ‘living statues’) in 1932. Back then it was famed for never closing – even at the peak of the Blitz – and it became an unlikely poster child of British resilience and resistance. It subsequently turned into an adult cinema before going back to its roots in 1970 under the ownership of notorious porn baron and ‘King of Soho’ Paul Raymond (the same guy behind Madame Jojo’s). 

But as of this month, the famous risqué club has shut its doors for good. The closure is a result of the collapse of Big Country (the company that has operated The Windmill since 2021) amid a legal dispute with strip club chain Spearmint Rhino, which became the club’s landlord in June last year. The long-standing row was over rent costs and a leak in the basement in 2023 that left parts of the building unusable. 

The Windmill has faced several other difficulties in recent years. Its adult entertainment license was removed in 2018 following an undercover operation that found dancers flouting ‘no touching’ rules. After a £10m refurb, it reopened in 2021 as a 350-capacity dining concept and bar with a cabaret. Then, last year, it faced complaints from local residents over it being too close to Soho Parish Primary School (300ft away). 

Duncan Coutts, a joint liquidator, said: ‘The Windmill’s liquidation follows a prolonged period of operational and legal challenges that left the company unable to trade.

‘Our priority is to ensure that creditors are treated fairly and that the process is conducted transparently.

‘While this chapter has closed, the Windmill’s legacy as a cultural landmark remains a defining part of Soho’s story.’

More from Soho: Read the story of the historic club, Madame Jojo’s. 

And discover ​​how this chain coffee shop became a vital space for London’s gay community. 

Plus: These are the 20 best things to do in Soho in 2025. 

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