‘It’s not just a dancefloor’: the precipitous decline of UK nightclubs
Share:
A cocktail of Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis has left larger ‘chrome and carpet’ venues high and dry as struggling chains look to party bars. When the patrons of Watford’s Pryzm nightclub celebrated New Year’s Eve on 31 December 2023, they were marking the end of an era, or rather, the end of seven eras. Like every beloved local club, the venue had been known by multiple names over the years: Top Rank, Bailey’s, Paradise Lost, Kudos, Destiny and Oceana.
Now, it will be reincarnated no more, after failing to reach a deal with its landlord. One TikTok user posted a video of herself sketching an intricate iPad picture in tribute to the venue, where she had met her boyfriend. She signed it with an “RIP” and a broken heart emoji.
Matt Turmaine, the Labour MP for Watford, used to go dancing there in his younger days, when double-breasted jackets and smart shoes were the fashion. “It’s part of that cultural makeup, where you look back, maybe cringing a bit,” he said, speculating that many of his constituents will have had their “first snog” on its dancefloor.
Anyone planning on hitting their own favourite club during the festive break should enjoy the opportunity while they can. Where Watford has been, the rest of the country may soon follow. Britain’s nightclub industry is in trouble as a result of a powerful cocktail of cultural, economic and legislative factors that leading clubland figures say must be addressed before it’s too late.
