Bar Fibre 'closed down': Longstanding Leeds bar boarded up in video stunt
Shoppers in Leeds were left stunned this week after spotting a longstanding bar apparently boarded up.
The windows at Bar Fibre, in Lower Briggate, were wrapped up with ‘closed down’ signs - prompting passers-by to stop and take pictures in disbelief.
But the scenes were a stunt for Fibre’s latest social media video, created as part of the bar’s 25th anniversary celebrations.
The video is one of a series of comedy-style shorts released to mark the milestone, promoting Fibre’s ongoing Gold Card giveaway, which offers customers free drinks for life.
Several of the videos have since gone viral, attracting more than 2million views across social media platforms. The latest shoot saw Fibre’s owner Terry George disguised with a long grey beard, hat and gloves, sitting outside the boarded-up venue beside a tent and handwritten signs.
Some members of the public reportedly believed they were witnessing the sudden closure of the Leeds bar, before the illusion was broken when filming wrapped and the crew emerged.
The punchline of the video reveals that Terry’s character isn’t asking for money, but is jokingly attempting to collect back the Gold Cards that have already been given away.
The campaign’s first winner, Wayne Hoyel, of Halifax, was invited on stage in front of a packed venue and offered the chance to enhance his prize with a live coin flip, broadcast on Instagram. The result saw him walk away with both free drinks for life and £10,000 in cash.
Hoyel was left in tears, later explaining the moment came at a time when he and his partner were planning their wedding. There are 9 of 25 Gold Cards still to be won as part of the campaign.
Terry said: “Fibre has crossed generations over 25 years, which shows the connection people have with the place. Giving something back felt like the right way to mark that — creating something open to everyone, with real value, and seeing the excitement it’s generated has been incredibly rewarding.
“It’s been about bringing people together and giving anyone the chance to walk away with something special, simply for being part of the Fibre story.”
Bar Fibre opened in 2000 and underwent a £1million refurbishment in 2023. It scooped the title of Best Bar at the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Oliver Awards 2023.