The Debate: Should we turn empty City office blocks into nightlife venues? July 16, 2025 A new report has imagined a future where ravers head to the disused office blocks of the City on the weekends. Is it madness or genius?
UK nightlife economy under pressure as venues struggle May 27, 2025 The UK’s nightlife industry, once a powerful driver of urban business, faces mounting pressures as shifting consumer habits, economic headwinds and regulatory challenges tighten the squeeze on late-night operators. Phil Urban, chief executive of one of the UK’s largest pub and bar chains, Mitchells & Butlers, has warned that the late-night segment is “the toughest [...]
Don’t sack the DJ: Group urges government to protect electronic music February 6, 2025 An industry body has called on the government to recognise the power of electronic music in reshaping and revitalising the UK’s struggling nightlife. A slightly unlikely poster child of the UK’s creative industry, electronic music contributed £2.4bn to the UK economy last year, with £646.1m of that from festival revenues. Leading the charge not only [...]
Sadiq Khan launches new nightlife squad to advise on replacing Amy Lamé February 4, 2025 Sadiq Khan has launched a new London nightlife taskforce which is expected to advise on whether the former Night Czar, Amy Lamé, should be replaced. The Mayor of London launched the new independent nightlife committee, which will be led by fabric nightclub founder Cameron Leslie, on Tuesday. It is aimed at supporting the capital’s nighttime [...]
Former London night czar Amy Lamé founds consultancy 24hr Cities January 24, 2025 The former London night czar Amy Lamé has founded a new global consultancy called 24hr Cities. Lamé, who served as Mayor Sadiq Khan’s expert on the capital’s nightlife, received a £132,846 salary by the end of her tenure at City Hall and stepped down in October 2024. But her time in office saw London’s nightlife [...]
More good news for pubs as December splurge delivers crucial growth January 22, 2025 A rush of pubgoers in the last two weeks of December brought much-needed growth across the industry in a “big relief” for businesses. Pub sales were up 4.7 per cent ahead of December 2023, while bars bounced back from soft trading throughout most of 2024 to post growth of 1.3 per cent, according to the [...]
UK nightclubs are ‘more concerned now than during the pandemic’ January 9, 2025 The UK’s nightclub sector has been hit with an alarming decline in activity as it continues to battle “unsustainable” cost pressures following the Autumn Budget’s tax hikes. Fresh figures from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) have today revealed there has been a 32.7 per cent decline in activity since 2020 amid what is seen [...]
Revolution Bars brings in industry veteran Luke Johnson to replace long-standing chairman September 9, 2024 Revolution Bars has announced the appointment of well-known investor Luke Johnson as non-executive chairman of the struggling business. Johnson will replace Keith Edelman, who has served as chairman for the last nine years. Earlier this month, the pub and bar chain completed a comprehensive restructuring plan designed to steer the business back to profitability, which [...]
Sadiq Khan has no answers on London’s ailing nightlife July 25, 2024 More than 3,000 pubs and clubs have closed since the pandemic while other cities like Manchester and Liverpool have thrived. If the mayor won’t do anything about it, others will, says Emma Best Growing up gay in London, my world and confidence in who I was changed when I was able to start experiencing London’s [...]
Heaven club owner: The West End has to stand up to rip-off landlords together June 21, 2024 London's Heaven club is facing closure - we spoke to its owner