Kambar Klosed

Alternative Cambridge Club Kambar has shut down and will re-open as a “classy” champagne bar.

Cambridge Cindies closed Club Fez Kambar kieran corcoran Life Luminar nightclub Nightlife

Alternative nightspot Kambar has officially closed its doors for the last time.

After a surprise closure in mid-December, the building’s front was painted over, the “Kambar” sign removed, and all posters in the window taken down.

Future “classy” Champagne bar

The club, open since 1972, had been rumoured to close many times, but with no result.

But now local businessman Abs Attia has taken over the building, along with the Jinling Noodle Bar next door, and plans to combine and renovate them.

“Details haven’t been confirmed but it will be a champagne bar and dinner dance club and will be great for Cambridge. Further details will be revealed later on.”

At the time of writing, Kambar could not be reached for comment.

The club was popular with students looking for a different type of night to Cambridge favourites like Life or Cindies. Mark Wartenberg, English second-year at King’s, told The Tab “The music was better than in most of the other clubs. I liked that there was an upstairs space where you could chill; and of course a lot of people spent a lot of Kambar time outside rather than inside the place.”

Leo Parker-Rees, a fourth year Management student at Christ’s, described the closure as “sad news; it was the only place where our students got the chance to put on a lot of nights.”

“And now there’s nowhere to go for all the people who feel too edgy for Cindies.”

Kambar regularly ran nights with student DJs and societies, such as the Stop Aids society and Cambridge University Amnesty International. It is unclear where these events could take place in future.

CUSU Ents ran a regular LGBT night at Kambar, which will be replaced with a new event to be announced soon.

It follows a rocky term for Cambridge nightclubs – when parent company Luminar went into administration, Cindies and Life found themselves on the line, but were then rescued by a £45million takeover leisure industry leaders. Both clubs will now continue as normal, though without their edgier alternative.

Photograph by David Ponting