World Cafe Live — now known as World Stage — was shut down on Saturday night after state officials determined it was serving alcohol without a valid license.
The April 4 shutdown came after Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement seized alcohol from the West Philadelphia venue in a raid ahead of a scheduled concert. Four employees — three bartenders and one manager — were taken into custody, with the bartenders later released without charges and the manager facing liquor law violations.
The venue’s liquor license had been expired since Oct. 31, 2025, according to Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. A renewal application was received in mid-October, but the license did not have proper tax clearances, so the venue did not have legal authorization to serve alcohol…