The UK could see the ‘end of clubbing’ as venues are currently closing at 10 per month.
According to research by the Nighttime Industries Association, the UK has lost 37 per cent of its clubs over the past four years.
Michael Kill, the chief executive of the Nighttime Industries Association (NTIA) spoke to Sky News ahead of next week’s autumn budget.
He said: “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 results are attributed to the cost of living meaning more people are going out less, as well as the rising operational costs.
One recent NTIA flash poll of 500 businesses found that seven out of 10 are either barely breaking even or operating at a loss.
The NTIA says that things are so bleak that if the current rate of closures continues then on 31 December 2029 we will have no more clubs in the UK.
Mr Kill said: “The concern is that as we move towards the budget, the narrative that’s coming out is quite dour… Looking at alcohol duty and potentially things like the ban on smoking… All of those things are quite onerous and cost heavy.
“We need the government to give us a bit of a break and the financial headroom to be able to allow businesses to survive.”
Clubs are being forced to reinvent themselves and find new ways to maximise revenue.
Actor and music lover Vicky McClure has stumbled across a way to get people back dancing – running a successful daytime clubbing event with her husband called Day Fever.
“I don’t think we’ve reinvented the wheel but I think what we’ve captured is something that everybody really wants,” she said.
Many owners are struggling to keep permanent venues afloat but others have found success working in ‘meanwhile spaces’.
Simeon Aldred is the co-founder and head of strategy at Broadwick Live, a company responsible for the club Drumsheds, one of the world’s largest nightclubs that’s currently running on the site of Tottenham’s old Ikea in north London.
The vast furniture warehouse is hosting some of the biggest names in dance music.
He said of the project: “I’d imagine [this] is temporary,” says Mr Aldred. “Our landowner is looking to do housing with Enfield council…London needs more houses.
“That gap between old and new development…working in meanwhile spaces….it really helps landlords and places to experiment with size and scale, does food work there? Does music work there? How can [they] take that into permanence in some form?”
Meanwhile, separate research has shown that as many as 68 pe rcent of Brits say they prefer to stay in this winter due to dark, cold nights, with 42 per cent having spruced up their homes ready for gatherings with friends.
The research, commissioned by PerfectDraft, revealed a host of imaginative ways Brits are elevating their entertaining – with bar snacks (52 per cent) draught beer machines (30 per cent) dart boards (26 per cent) and cocktail shakers (21 per cent) emerging as key components.
While 17 have invested in a karaoke machine, 12 per cent have installed a big screen TV for sports – and more than one in ten (11 per cent) have even gone as far as installing DJ decks to get the party going.
To avoid lingering guests, 6 per cent even have a bell to call last orders, with table football (10 per cent), retro style jukeboxes (9 per cent) and pint glasses “borrowed” from the pub (8 per cent) among the list of night in essentials.
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