Photo by jaladrum

The rumors that started making the rounds on Twitter and Facebook today have turned out to be true: H Street NE burlesque house and performance venue Red Palace will close out 2012 by closing its doors, per a press release from the bar:

Red Palace: Fare-thee-well.

After almost seven years the Red Palace will sadly close it’s doors at the end of the year. The current ownership is changing, and with that change comes new ideas for the future.

Red Palace had it’s beginnings in The Red & The Black and The Palace of Wonders. The Red & The Black a quirky little live music venue. The Palace of Wonders a Vaudevillian entertainment bar replete with sideshow oddities. Loving neighbors from the beginning it seemed only natural when they were joined in 2010 to become the Red Palace.

We would like to thank the H street community, businesses and the many talented artists and entertainers we’ve had the pleasure of hosting. We especially want to thank our patrons and our fantastic staff for making it a great place to be, and truly one-of-a-kind.

We love H Street, and feel privileged to be a part of the community. Join us over the next several weeks for a show, a drink and a bite to eat as we say farewell. Don’t miss our “Ball Drop” New Year’s Eve. It will be a party to be remembered.

UPDATE, 3:25 p.m.: Red Palace owner Joe Englert emails to explain the closure: “Seven years was enough. Time to sell and move on. Makes it easier to book and operate DC9 and Rock n Roll Hotel.”