The Nighttime Industries Association (NTIA) UK has warned that the UK could see the 'end of clubbing' after losing 37% of its venues in the last 4 years.
Club venues have declined at a rapid rate since the pandemic, with a whopping 10 venues closing every month, roughly 3 a week! If venues continue to close at this rate the UK club scene that has shaped so much of British culture will be a relic by December 31st 2029.
The UK club scene has faced it’s fair share of trials since its emergence in the 1980’s, when contemporary clubbing culture first spread across Europe. By 1994 the British government passed the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, outlawing gatherings of a hundred or more people with loud music “characterised by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats”. Such measures politicised clubbing and criminalised party-goers, but underground or overground the part has always gone on.
Now, even historic venues which are embedded in the British experience are being forced to the brink of extinction by a mixture of factors, including the cost of living crisis.
NTIA CEO Michael Kill warned against the pending doomsday in the following statement:
"We are witnessing the systematic dismantling of the nighttime economy. Our industry is not just about entertainment; it's about identity, community, and the economy.
The loss of our venues means the loss of jobs, culture, and a vital part of the UK’s social fabric. Without urgent intervention, December 31, 2029, will be the last night out, and the end of a clubbing era that has defined generations.”
The organisation is now demanding that the UK Government implement measures to help these dying businesses, including extending business rates relief, providing more support for the industry and recognising nightclubs and venues as cultural institutions.