San Francisco's oldest and arguably most beloved LGBTQ party space, The Stud, is set to make a grand reentrance on Saturday, with a new outfit and in new digs, celebrating every era that the place has lived through.

To use a by-now tired tech-world trope, this is either The Stud 3.0 or The Stud 4.0, depending on how you mark time and the transitions the nightclub has been through. First opened at 1535 Folsom Street in 1966 with a country and western theme, the bar evolved through the hippie era into a place that welcomed everybody, and was always up for a good time. Its first relocation happened in 1987, when it moved to the space most of us knew at 9th and Harrison streets. That era of The Stud had a couple of phases, and it became collectively owned by a group of nightlife professionals in 2016.

That group made the decision to shutter the club — which was on borrowed time with the landlord anyway, given plans to sell or redevelop the property — in May 2020, vowing to return at some point when the pandemic faded.

And that point has now arrived, four blocks down from where The Stud originated, with the grand reopening at 1123 Folsom Street happening Saturday, April 20. The space, which was most recently home to Trademark and two decades ago was Julie's Supper Club, was fittingly also a western-themed leather bar back in the early 70s called The Stables. Stud Collective member Rachel Ryan says that coincidence "feels like a very sweet, full circle moment to be happening right in the heart of the Leather and LGBTQ Cultural District."

The reopening party has been dubbed The Stud Time Machine, and starting at 6 pm Saturday, DJ sets and drag numbers will celebrate each decade and era of the club's existence, starting with The Cowboy Era of the 1960s. Local legend Gina LaDivina will do the first performance, and the era will be DJ'd by Hard French alums DJ Brown Amy and DJ Carnitas.

The Disco Era will feature some spinning by DJ Steve Fabus, who once upon a time had residencies at the Trocadero Transfer and the I-Beam. And Jim Hopkins will step in at 8 pm for The New Wave Era. The Club Kid Era will be represented by Bootie legend Adriana A, and Miss Rahni Nothingmore will perform.

The party continues on through the T-Shack Era and The Collective Era, with a performance by collective member Honey Mahogany. And DJ Adam Kraft and Beverly Chills will go on at midnight representing The Future of the Stud.

The space itself remains a work in progress, and the team continues to seek donations to help them finish several vital things, including the construction of a stage, and the demolition of the commercial kitchen in the space that will not be needed. As Rachel Ryan and Honey Mahogany announced today on Instagram, to that end, they're releasing another block of tickets for Saturday's reopening for those who want to secure their spot and donate at the same time. These tickets are $100 on Eventbrite — and this is the only way to buy an advance ticket right now, since a pre-sale very quickly sold out.

Tickets will still be available at the door, but there could end up being a line and capacity issues!

The regular Stud party schedule has not yet been announced, but in the coming days and weeks we should know more.

Previously: The Stud Announces Its Grand Opening at Its New SoMa Location Will Be April 20