The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has calculated that if nightclubs continue to close at the current trajectory, none will be left by 31 December 2029.
Recent data found 10 UK nightclubs close every month, with 37% of nightclubs having closed since March 2020.
Michael Kill, NTIA CEO, said: “We are witnessing the systematic dismantling of the night-time economy. Our industry is not just about entertainment; it’s about identity, community, and the economy.
“Losing our clubs means losing jobs, culture and a vital part of the UK’s social fabric. Without urgent intervention, 31 December 2029, will be the last night out and the end of a clubbing era that has defined generations.”
The NTIA has launched The Last Night Out campaign in collaboration with McCann London to highlight the plight of the night-time economy.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of nightclub closures and lead people to a petition challenging the UK government to launch a Heritage Protection scheme for nightclubs.
Adam Taylor-Smith and Stephen Yeates, senior creatives at McCann London, said, “We’ve just waved goodbye to a government that seemed to have little time for culture and the arts, so we’re hoping the newly elected one will have much more.
“Nightclubs are more than sound systems and wristbands. They’re vital organisations that provide careers, create friendships, inspire generations of artists, and truly give people a place to celebrate their eclecticism as one after-dark family.
“This work is a bittersweet celebration of the nightclub community and a warning that that community might fracture sooner than we think.”
The NTIA has three key demands for the government: a continuation of support for the sector, including extending business rates relief and further long-term strategies; recognition of nightclubs as cultural institutions, as with galleries and museums; and policy reform and regulatory support, in particular a review of licensing laws, business rates, VAT, and planning policies.
Earlier this week, a flash poll by the NTIA discovered most on-trade businesses in the UK were ‘barely breaking even or operating at a loss’.
Related news
UK loses 65 nightclubs in 2024