Map shows UK areas hit hardest by nightclub closures as almost 500 close in four years --[Reported by Umva mag]

This week London’s legendary nightclub Tiger Tiger by Piccadilly Circus shut its doors for good.

The closure comes just weeks after it was revealed that 480 nightclubs had closed across the UK over the past four years.

The Night Time Industry Association (NTIA), which shared the statistics, said the decline in clubs was ‘devastating’ for the country’s night-time economy and said there was an ‘urgent need for support and intervention’.

It added that the dance music spaces, which it called the ‘lifeblood of the scene’, were particularly badly hit.

There were an average of 10 club closures a month between June 2020 and June 2024, according to the figures put together by CGA Neilson.

Worryingly the pace of closures increased this year, with 65 shutting between December 2023 and June 2024 – equating to 11 closures a month.

As our map shows, the hardest hit region over the past four years is Yorkshire, which saw a 45% fall, from 132 venues to just 73.

This was followed by Lancashire and the south west, which both saw a 42% drop, with Lancashire going from 178 to 104 clubs and the south west falling from 111 to 64.

Wales didn’t fare much better, dropping from 66 to 39 venues, a 41% decline.

The north east had the lowest drop of 20%, although their overall number was quite small to begin with. It lost 12 venues, leaving the area with 49 in total.

Percentage-wise, London also suffered a relatively low fall of 29%, going from 200 to 143. But that’s still 57 closures over four years.

The figure doesn’t include Tiger Tiger, which shut after the report came out.

Speaking last month, NTIA CEO, Michael Kill, put the rapid closure of clubs down to ‘rising cost and lack of essential public services’ as well as red tape around licensing and planning.

He said: ‘Late-night transport is unreliable, police presence is scarce, and venues are forced to spend on security and cleaning—services that should be publicly provided.

‘Additionally, bureaucratic systems around licensing and planning are inconsistent and definitely not conducive to growth, weighing us down at every point.

‘Our sector is treated like an afterthought, yet it supports jobs, tourism, and hospitality.

‘These venues aren’t just places to dance; they are vital spaces for community and creativity.’

He said immediate government intervention was needed, adding: ‘Long-term reform won’t matter if there are no venues left to benefit from it.’

The Metro has contacted the Department of Business and Trade for comment.

In more encouraging news, it was revealed last month that Printworks, one of London’s most iconic techno nightclubs is set to return.

The venue, in Canada Water, closed in 2023 after Southwark Council approved a new redevelopment, which would have turned the building, previously a newspaper printing warehouse, into office space.

But around three weeks ago NTIA announced on Instagram that Printworks was reopening.

It wrote: ‘We’re extremely pleased to hear the news that Printworks officially received planning consent for redevelopment on Tuesday night.’

It’s not clear when it’s reopening, but Printworks’ website says ‘See you in 2026?’, so it looks like they’re hoping for next year.

On Friday, we shared five major nightclubs in London that have closed for good since 2000.

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