06/08/2026
It is not with a heavy heart, but with a broken one, that we have to tell you we are closing.
After nine years of art, coffee, laughter, friendships and memories, this is a post we never imagined we would have to write.
The truth is, this was not our choice.
We survived a global pandemic, a recession and months of disruptive roadworks that left our business hidden behind fences, trucks and diggers. Despite this, so many of you continued to find your way to us.
Every coffee, meal and piece of art purchased gave us hope that we would make it through. We truly believed we would.
Without warning or empathy for our plight our landlord has refused to renew our lease, while there is more to this story that’s all you need to know for now.
We also cannot ignore the impact the roadworks have had. Despite being told we would be the most impacted business, when we raised our concerns with Nelson City Council and Mayor Nick Smith, we were told there would be no compensation and asked whether we had “two hard years” in us? Great leadership !
With takings down dramatically the lack of meaningful support has been devastating.
Our final day will be 5 September, at the latest.
What hurts most is knowing Nelson is losing more than a café and gallery. Red has been a meeting place, a safe place, a creative space and, for many, a second home.
Should there be a person—or group—who believes in what Red has become and would like to carry it forward, we would love to talk.
To everyone who followed the detours, walked past the fences, braved the noise and continued to support us—thank you. To our amazing team Thankyou !
You were all the reason we kept fighting.
We are incredibly proud of what we built together and heartbroken that it is ending this way. We will be starting an End of An Era sale tomorrow - 5th Sep .We really want to end our time in Bridge St on a high to thank the community and celebrate everything RED Gallery has represented over the years. It will certainly be missed and we know the public will be as heartbroken as us.
From the bottom of our broken hearts, thank you for giving Red the love it deserved.
With all our love,
The Red family ❤️ 😢
