Did the end of the party sound? The United Kingdom tries to stop the decline of its nightlife, undermined by COVVID and inflation, which also forces clubs to reinvent themselves to attract a new generation on the track.
In mid-July, the Pryzm Kingston, a disco in the southwest of London prized by students, where Billie Eilish, Rod Stewart and Stormzy occurred, closed its doors.
According to its owners, it was time to “turn to the future and reimagine this site”, nestled in an old cinema, “for the next generation of partycos”.
It will be reborn in the form of a reduced size club and a dancing bar, more “high -end” places that “reflect what people are looking for today”.
Since 2020, nearly a third of British clubs has dropped the curtain, around 400 establishments, indicates the organization of the sector, Night Time Industries Association (NTIA).
“Even if they knew a slight decline before the pandemic, it has greatly accelerated things,” Tony Rigg, consultant in the music industry, told AFP. Before the cost of living crisis explodes the invoices and rents of nightclubs – like those of their customers.
Met at the time of the first pints in the center of London, at the beginning of the evening, Conor Nugent, 26 -year -old customer officer, says it only go in a box for “special occasions”, after wondering “if it’s really worth it”.
This Londonian has reduced his outings for financial reasons -like 68% of 18-30 year olds, indicates the NTIA -, and prefers to reserve for “concerts or events”.
As Tony Rigg points out, COVVI-19 led to a “culture change” among young people in “Gen Z”, born between 1997 and 2012, which generally consume less alcohol and have not always “experienced the rite of passage consisting in discovering clubs”.
– The example of Paris –
Invoking all these reasons, the company Rekom UK, owner of the emblematic nightclubs Pryzm and Atik, filed for bankruptcy in 2024, closing 17 establishments in the country.
About twenty others, including the Pryzm Kingston, have been taken over by Neos Hospitality, who decided to transform some into dancing bars or organize without alcohol. “The sector must evolve, or it will become obsolete,” admits Tony Rigg.
To put an end to the hemorrhage of revelers to Berlin or Paris, the mayor of the capital Sadiq Khan launched an independent working group called “Nightlife Taskforce”, which must publish a report in the fall.
“Our nightlife is one of the reasons why people love London,” said Khan with AFP, saying “jealous of the powers of Paris, New York or Tokyo”, and particularly “envious” of the French capital, who is experiencing a renewal of his night.
To revitalize that of London, the councilor received permission in March to cancel certain decisions of local authorities forcing pubs, restaurants, concert halls and nightclubs to close early.
The government has announced that they want to modify the rules in force to promote the activity of night establishments in certain areas.
“We tend to insist too much on risks and security, without taking into account the benefits for culture, economy and local life,” said Michael Kill, president of the NTIA, who pleads for better recognition of electronic music and club culture.
“We are still faced with reputation problems,” he said to AFP, while this industry is “an economic engine” reporting 153 billion pounds per year (176 billion euros).
Despite everything, Carys Bromley, freshly arrived from the island of Guernsey, finds that London remains “a very exciting city”: “There are so many parties, clubs (…) The places remain open late, it’s alive, a little crazy too”, enthuses the young woman of 25 years.
Posted on August 5 at 07:14 am, AFP
