The 15-strong business has chosen its “dream location” of Brighton for the new venue, having last opened outside London in Birmingham in 2021.
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Its bars each offer more than 100 wines for customers to self-pour from machines and its range also includes its own wines that use grapes grown in vineyards across Sussex and the south-east.
Vagabond has secured a 2,980sq ft site on Duke Street that was previously occupied by Browns Brasserie. The bar is due to open in late autumn following refurbishment.
The venue will feature a staircase carved out with riddling racks and a striking stainless steel bar and will house a private dining room for hosting group celebrations, tasting events and private corporate functions.
Younger demographic targeted
Backed by the Majestic Wine Group and Fortress Investment Group, Vagabond said the Brighton bar is a “significant step” in its strategy to target more towns and cities across the UK with its modern and highly differentiated hospitality concept as it targets a younger, digitally engaged generation of wine lovers via its eclectic wines, WSET-qualified teams, technology and app-driven experiences.
The Brighton opening will mark Vagabond’s third new venue of 2026, following successful launches in London’s Soho in June and Canary Wharf just last week. Vagabond plans to expand its portfolio of experiential bars from 14 sites today to 25 in the next five years.
In the past 12 months, the operator has launched a smartphone app, digital wine flights and a transactional websiteso customers can order directly to their homes.
Vagabond Wines interim managing director Graham Hall said: “Brighton has always been a city that marches to its own beat – it’s fun, vibrant and fiercely independent, all of which make it a dream location for Vagabond. It’s been a while since we opened a new bar outside of London, and we couldn’t have picked a more perfect place to do it.
Unique and innovative
“Brighton has such a diverse and colourful mix of bars, restaurants and retailers, all offering something unique and innovative. We’re really excited to bring our wine experience to the party and introduce the city to a brand new way of enjoying wine, one pour at a time.”
Majestic Wine Group executive chairman and CEO John Colley added: “We’ve been looking for opportunities to extend Vagabond’s reach outside of London ever since we welcomed the business into the Majestic family two years ago.
“The launch of our nationwide direct-to-consumer website was the first stage of that exciting journey and now we’re pressing ahead with our plans to open more bars in key towns and cities right across the UK.
“Brighton has been near the top of our list of target locations since day one, and we can’t wait to introduce wine lovers from across the city to the Vagabond experience.”
- To watch a video with Vagabond head of drinks Freddie Cobb on the subject of low & no wines, click here.
