The UK’s first ever dedicated women’s sports bar is opening in Brighton

You must’ve been living under a rock if you didn't notice how big 2025 was for women’s sports. Footy fans crammed into their local boozers like sardines to watch the Lionesses defend their Euros title in an electric, excruciating, edge-of-your-seat final. Then in September pints went flying once again as crowds returned to cheer England’s Red Roses to glory.

Demand for women’s sport has seen a meteoric rise in recent years. A record 357 million hours of sport was watched by the female population in the first nine months of last year, according to the Women’s Sport Trust Visibility Report. That’s more than ever before.

But with many women’s events still stuck behind paywalls or simply not shown in public spaces, the UK has been lacking the perfect place to catch every match. That is, until now. 

Seaside venue Crossbar Brighton, opening on February 6, reimagines the classic sports bar to put women’s teams in the spotlight.

Founded by duo Lucy and Pippa Tallant, the Brighton venue will show football fixtures, rugby games, cricket matches and more across three rooms and eight screens, prioritising women’s sport but welcoming everyone to get involved.

Athletic appreciation isn’t just reserved for evenings, either. Crossbar Brighton will open bright and early from 9am each morning, operating as a daytime coffee shop and workspace before the screens switch on the sports coverage in the pm.

As for drinks, well, it wouldn’t be a sports bar without a selection of draught beers on tap. Plus, there’s a curated wine list and, for the foodies, sharing boards. It’s also the only place you can get England football legend Jill Scott and partner Shelley Unitt’s Boxx2Boxx coffee outside of their Manchester coffee shop.

Founders Lucy and Pippa Tallant said about the new bar: ‘We wanted a space that reflected how we, and so many others, actually want to watch sport. Women’s sport, good wine, great coffee and a place you genuinely want to spend time in. Those elements exist separately, but rarely together. Crossbar is about bringing them into one space and putting women’s sport first.’

If you need any more proof that the thirst for female-focused sports bars is growing, just look at Crossbar’s initial numbers. The venue’s opening night table bookings for its Winter Olympic themed event sold out in an impressive four minutes.

And for the amateur sportswomen among us, it offers free use of its function rooms for club meetings, post-match socials and strategy sessions. So grab your cleats and get down there. 

Crossbar Brighton opens on February 6 on 22–23 Upper North Street, BN1 3FG. Find out more on the official website here.

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