It has been revealed that the UK has misplaced 480 nightclubs between June 2020 to June 2024, with 65 closing simply this yr.
- READ MORE: 2023 was “worst yr for venue closures” whereas “nobody in music business appears to care”, say MVT
As reported by the Evening Time Industries Affiliation (NTIA), the brand new statistics from CGA Neilson have highlighted a large decline within the variety of nightclubs throughout the UK, emphasising that there’s an pressing want for help and intervention.
It was revealed that the UK has misplaced 480 nightclubs between June 2020 and June 2024, with a mean of 10 membership closures a month which means two shutting their doorways completely each week. 65 of these nightclub closures occurred between December 2023 and June 2024.
Inside the Central Area, solely 118 nightclubs stay in comparison with the 200 that existed again in 2020, marking a 41 per cent loss. The East skilled 39 per cent discount, with solely 41 venues remaining in comparison with the 67 there as soon as was once.
Lancashire skilled a 42 per cent decline with solely 104 venues surviving in contrast with the earlier variety of 178. In London, the nightclub venues dropped from 200 to solely 143, marking a 29 per cent lower. The North East skilled a lower from 61 to 49 venues, equating to a 20 per cent decline.
Scotland misplaced 42 nightclubs, abandoning solely 83 venues with a 34 per cent lower. The South and South East dropped down 24 per cent, going from 92 venues to solely 70. The South West skilled the lack of half of their venues going from 111 to 64. Wales went down from 66 to 39 venues marking a 41 per cent decline. The worst hit was seen in Yorkshire who skilled a forty five per cent discount, going from 132 venues to solely 73.
The brand new statistics come after the NTIA revealed earlier this yr that 31 per cent of nightclubs within the UK had been compelled to shut final yr. In Might, it was revealed that the primary three months of 2024 alone noticed a devastating lack of 67 nightclubs.
The NTIA has known as for quick authorities motion, explaining that the shuttering of nightclubs displays a broader disaster within the UK’s evening time cultural financial system. The affiliation has urged the Chancellor to increase enterprise charges reduction within the Autumn funds as a option to ease the monetary burden on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and as a method to make sure their survival.
In a press release Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA, stated: “The nightclub and dance music sector is dealing with an unprecedented disaster. Since June 2020, we’ve been shedding two nightclubs each week, however within the final six months, this has escalated to a few per week. This fast decline is devastating for our financial system, tradition, and communities.”
He continued: “Regardless of contributing thousands and thousands in taxes, we’re burdened with rising prices and a scarcity of important public companies. Late-night transport is unreliable, police presence is scarce, and venues are compelled to spend on safety and cleansing—companies that ought to be publicly supplied. Moreover, bureaucratic techniques round licensing and planning are inconsistent and undoubtedly not conducive to progress, weighing us down at each level.
“Our sector is handled like an afterthought, but it helps jobs, tourism, and hospitality. These venues aren’t simply locations to bounce; they’re important areas for group and creativity. With out pressing authorities intervention, we danger shedding a key a part of the UK’s cultural id in dance music. We’d like quick motion to stop additional closures. Lengthy-term reform gained’t matter if there are not any venues left to profit from it.”
Final March, the NTIA claimed that the UK authorities was “deliberately” closing down nightclubs and venues throughout the nation, because it noticed the nightlife sector as “a burden on policing and native authorities”.
Equally, in August 2023, the affiliation shared that over 100 impartial nightclubs throughout the UK have been compelled to shut down over the previous yr.
The pressure placed on native music areas throughout the UK is not at all a brand new difficulty. Again in January final yr, it was shared that one-third of UK nightclubs closed by the tip of 2022, with reporting that the issue would proceed to worsen with out authorities intervention.
In an analogous vein, again in January, the outcomes had been shared for 2023 – revealing a “catastrophe” that hit grassroots music venues throughout the 12 months.
Among the many key findings into their “most difficult yr”, it has been reported that final yr noticed 125 UK venues abandon dwell music and that over half of them had shut fully – together with the legendary Moles in Bathtub. A number of the extra urgent constraints had been reported as hovering vitality costs, landlords rising fee quantities, provide prices, enterprise charges, licensing points, noise complaints and the persevering with shockwaves of COVID-19.
Total, it was discovered that venues’ hire had elevated by 37.5 per cent, with them working at a mean revenue margin of simply 0.5 per cent.
