Bees Knees Carlisle

The owners have said the Carlisle bar will look very much like the Workington venue once the refit is complete, so visitors can reasonably expect the same broad emphasis on a lively pub atmosphere, entertainment, sport and drinks. The final Carlisle line-up, menus, event schedule and regular trading hours have not yet been published.The Carlisle premises licence is already in place. Cumberland Council records Bees Knees at 36-38 Botchergate with Ashley James Properties Ltd as licence holder and Leigh Sweetman as designated premises supervisor. The licence permits alcohol sales, live music, recorded music and late-night refreshment. It allows the premises to open as late as 2.30am, but those are maximum licensing permissions rather than confirmed everyday opening hours.The site was previously occupied by BrewDog Carlisle. The former bar closed in March 2026 and was subsequently bought by the AJP team for £205,000. The new owners said the premises had been left largely fitted out, but they are nevertheless carrying out a full refurbishment before relaunching it as Bees Knees.Carlisle will be the group's first Bees Knees in a city-centre location of this scale. The owners have spoken positively about Carlisle's nightlife and said they see further potential for expansion across Cumbria.For visitors, the main thing to know for now is that Bees Knees Carlisle is not yet open. The current target is around mid-October 2026 rather than a confirmed launch day. Cumbria Guru will update this page when the opening date, final hours, events, food offer and any booking information are announced.