Star Bar closes; Red Light takes over

Star Community Bar will close its doors at the end of this year, ending 35 years of operation in Atlanta's Little Five Points neighborhood. The venue, known for hosting underground music and live comedy, announced the closure this week. Red Light Café, a listening room currently located in Virginia-Highland, will move into the same building in January 2027.

Luke Lewis, a co-owner of Star Bar, said the establishment has had a lasting impact on the city's live scene. He believes the transition to Red Light Café will sustain the venue as an institution for live arts for another two to three decades. The bar has operated at 347 Marietta Place, N.E., since 1991.

The closure comes after the venue faced financial difficulties and struggled to adapt to a changing music landscape. Lewis noted that the bar was one of the last spaces in the city where artists could perform without relying on ticket sales or large production budgets. The space has historically supported artists who might not otherwise have had a platform.

Red Light Café will expand its footprint by moving from its current location to the larger Star Bar space. The club is known for its jazz performances and burlesque shows. The move allows the venue to offer more seating and a larger stage for its programming.

Bill Brooks, a co-owner of Red Light Café, said the transition is a natural fit for the community. He noted that the venue has been a home for jazz and other live music for over a decade. The move from Virginia-Highland to Little Five Points brings the club to a neighborhood with a strong history of live performance.

Charles Ellen, who has been associated with the music scene in Atlanta since the 1990s, said the change is immediate and significant. He described the move as a continuation of the same ethos that has defined the area's live music culture. He noted that the space has been a constant in the neighborhood for decades.

Lewis said he is not in a rush to move out, as the club still has a loyal clientele. He acknowledged that the bar has been a difficult business to sustain in recent years. The decision to close was not made lightly, but the new partnership offers a path forward for the building.

The final event for Star Bar will be a concert on December 13. The date was chosen to allow for a proper send-off for the venue and its staff. Red Light Café will officially open its doors at the new location in January 2027.

Star Bar served as a host for long-running shows, including the Atlanta Bar's 32-hour music and comedy marathon. The venue also supported various artists and community events over the years. The closure marks the end of an era for the specific type of live music venue that the bar represented.

The building at 347 Marietta Place, N.E., will continue to host live music under the Red Light Café banner. The move aims to preserve the live arts institution in the neighborhood while adapting to current audience preferences. The transition represents a handoff between two generations of local music venues.