Rise in nightclub closures makes a mockery of ‘24-hour London’ claims

London is still one of the hardest global cities in which to enjoy a drink out with friends late at night. Once the last orders bell has been sounded just before 11pm, or in some cases midnight, claims that London is a 24-hour city ring very hollow. Incredibly the situation is only getting worse. Recent figures from the Night Time Industries Association show the rate of closure of bars, clubs and pubs has not slowed down since the end of the pandemic. Of course there has always been a natural churn as some locations fall out of favour and are replaced by new and exciting concepts. But what seems to be happening now is that the rate of closures has increased but openings are being held back by councils refusing to grant new late night licences, even in the West End. The late night scene that London has been known for is in crisis. This week we reported worrying anecdotal evidence that takings are in freefall again after a decent end to 2023. One respected former operator Jonathan Downey told us takings are down 20% year on year, a scale of decline seen before in the run-up to lockdown or...

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