Beyond the Dance Floor: WHERE DO THE RAVERS GO?
At the end of February, Sky News published a stark warning: with an average of one club being lost every two days, we may not have any left by 2030. Although a potentially hyperbolic premonition, this statistic is upsetting for those who consider nightlife a central part of leisure time.
The nightlife and hospitality sectors are in crisis and it seems like those at the top are doing little to remedy this. As energy bills and the costs of ingredients continue to rise, pubs, restaurants, clubs and bars have been forced to close their windows for good. The Night Time Industries Association (NITA) reported that since 2020, over 23,000 hospitality and night-time economy businesses have closed. Despite these terrifying numbers, the Government has accepted these losses, ignoring these closures and the ramifications they have on the economy and our social fabric.
Within the past decade, the British diaspora has begun discovering a network of venues that host Black events or engage with Black culture in some way. Historically, there has been pushback from club owners and residents alike, validated through years of criminalisation at the hands of the police (think about Form 696 and its detrimental long-term impacts on Black nightclubs). Despite the scarcity of Black-owned clubs and late-night spaces, Black nightlife is currently thriving.
Yet, for the venues that have remained open, however, the rising costs of drinks and travel to and from the venues still provide barriers to entry for many. With stagflation becoming a near-reality, a lot of us are opting to stay inside rather than dine out, bar hop or hit the club. Going out is simply too expensive to be a regular pastime - it becomes a treat preserved for more popular events, which are always oversubscribed, with many missing out on tickets post-drop.
What happens when going out becomes a luxury? This quiet crisis of vanishing nightlife spaces puts multiple facets of our society under a deep existential threat. At the end of 2023, WHO declared loneliness a ‘global public health concern’. Multiple sectors which contribute to community building have failed to recover from the impact COVID-19 had on social activity, and it has been reported that 5-15% of young people are lonely.
The Government ignores the fact that loneliness has social determinants for people across all walks of life, and it hits minorities even harder. Nightlife and hospitality spaces have historically acted as cultural sanctuaries which foster socialisation between members of protected communities, providing them with physical spaces to enjoy their culture safely. In a political climate that is steadfastly edging further towards the far-right, the need for safe spaces within the Black community is paramount.
A buzzing nightlife scene not only bolsters the wider economy but provides us with a sense of belonging. It shapes our culture in many ways we probably don’t even realise or notice in the moment. Think about the friends you have made at live music gigs, the club you attended when seeing your favourite DJ for the first time, and the independent late-night takeaway that serves the best food. All of these elements of our social lives are at risk of being lost.
It’s not all futile; there are some things you can do to contribute to nightlife in your area:
If you can, support the Black event brands that are managing to find success in such a turbulent time. Event planning in this economy is no easy feat! Cut your peers some slack, they winning in an industry that has historically worked against us, think before you publicly complain.
WNDLRST platforms a range of events put on by Black people that are cheap, some are even free. If the more popular events are out of your budget, you shouldn’t feel like nightlife is excluded from you. There truly is something out there for everyone.
Follow Save Our Scene and NTIA on Instagram to educate yourself on the nightlife crisis in the UK.
With clubs closing at lightning speed, it’s paramount to support Black nightlife now more than ever.
This piece is dedicated to venues we’ve lost along the way: Ace Hotel, Cargo, Kamio, Visions, Birthdays, The Alibi, to name a few.
