A third of nightclubs have shut since the start of the pandemic says report Britain has lost a third of its nightclubs since Covid as the cost of living crisis, higher costs and a changing youth culture have ripped through the sector.
Reuben Pullan, CGA by NIQ’s senior insight consultant, said: “The COVID crisis and relentless pressure on costs have created enormous challenges for hospitality businesses in the last five years, and late-night clubs and bars have been hit hardest of all.
However, many other segments have been remarkably resilient, and the growth in new types of venues like competitive socialising bars shows the evening economy isn’t disappearing—it’s just changing.
Latest figures from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) shows that in December 2024 Britain had 2,264 nightclubs, late-night bars and casinos, down 3% in a year and 25.2% down on the pre-COVID level of March 2020.
However, the figures also revealed changes in tastes for evening entertainment with a big increase in the number of “competitive socialising” venues where groups of friends or colleagues play games such as golf, darts, cricket and even football while enjoying a drink and food.
