Coming like a ghost town: The UK has lost a quarter of its clubs and late night venues since 2020

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Worrying figures have been published that reveal that the UK has lost one in four late night venues since 2020.

According to stats from the Night Time Industries Association, nearly 800 clubs or late night businesses have closed since Covid, a contraction of 26.4%. And it’s getting worse, with three venues a week shutting this year. There are now just 2424 such establishments in the UK and no sign that the sector has turned a corner.

We all know the reasons. Austerity, Covid, a cost of living crisis and a general shift in consumer behaviour away from the hedonism of the 1990s/ 2000s. The government’s recent hike in employers’ national insurance hasn’t helped matters either. Like many in the sector, the NTIA are concerned that this isn’t just a market correction, but something that will have a long-term impact on British society as a whole.

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“We’re witnessing the loss of important social infrastructure from our towns and cities,” NTIA’s Chief Executive, Michael Kill said in a statement. “Nightclubs and late-night venues are more than just places to dance – they’re cultural institutions, economic engines and cornerstones of community life.”

Kill said that the trend was “deeply worrying” and would have an effect on the wider cultural sector. “Small venues nurture new talent, fuelling the success of globally renowned artists and the creative economy. You don’t get Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa or Oasis without small venues. The collapse of independent venues puts the entire night-time economy at risk.”

The NTIA represents a fair chunk of British venues, including two-thirds of UK nightclubs. It is calling on the government to cut VAT, reverse the increase in employers’ national insurance contributions, and maintain business rates relief for the night-time sector until “fair reform of the rates system is implemented”.

“We must stop the silent slide into nighttime deserts before the damage becomes irreversible,” Kill added