Why Going Out Is The New Staying In
It's 3.56am. There's beer own my back, mascara under my eyes and a gentle, throbbing pain in the balls of my feet. My clothes cling to my body, while the salt from my last tequila shot sticks to the back of my hand. I’m on the dance floor, twirling among a troupe of strangers who have been brought together through song. I’m out of breath; dancing, singing, smiling. Nothing exists outside of these four walls.
Then abruptly, before I know it, disaster strikes. The lights flash on to reveal all our sins and the twinkling opening notes of Dirty Dancing’s ‘The Time of My Life’ start to play. It can mean only one thing: home time. Suddenly, that familiar feeling pools in the pit of my stomach, the ache for a longer night. The desperation to keep moving, to prolong the joy. Afters, anyone?
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It’s that very feeling, the need for escapism and the fear of its inevitable end, that will keep our desire for clubbing burning bright, our feet moving and our bodies intertwining, forever. No matter what obstacles we face – and there have been a lot over the past few years – the beat will always find us one way or another. And, make no mistake, the UK’s nightlife options are rapidly evolving with the times.
In 2024, ravers are finding ways to reach a new kind of high. Earlier this summer, on one of the few glorious days that July gave us, a hot-air balloon drifted over Bristol’s skyline. As the red-nylon cloud floated peacefully over Clifton Suspension Bridge, from it, the pumping sounds of drum and bass echoed across the horizon. ‘Only in Bristol!’ noted one witness – a moment immortalised in a now- viral social-media clip.
‘I’d totally do it again,’ says Anaïs, the DJ responsible for soundtracking the city’s first Rave in the Sky event. ‘It was an amazing feeling to float across Bristol while playing drum and bass.’ The West Country’s revellers aren’t the only ones getting creative. Across Britain, the definition of ‘going out’ has had to adapt with the current social and economic landscape.
In May, the UK’s annual Night Time Economy Report revealed devastating statistics that showed the UK is losing five nightclubs per week, while, back in February, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) predicted that, by 2030, UK clubs could be extinct altogether. Let that sink in for a second. Pre-pandemic, I worked on the door of a queer basement club in east London. Very occasionally, we’d let a group of 17-year-olds slip through. They always arrived early, travelling from various areas outside of London. And though their fake IDs weren’t particularly convincing, they needed a sanctuary, and we gladly provided it. Because that’s what clubs are at their core: sticky- floored hedonistic havens that double as vital community spaces.
The Covid-19 pandemic delivered a catastrophic blow to Britain’s going-out industry, with the cost-of-living crisis twisting the knife further just as it tried to find its feet again. In London alone, 3,000 clubs, bars and pubs have closed since March 2020. ‘Over the past few years, our sector has faced unprecedented challenges, with count- less businesses tragically lost and many more on the brink,’ says Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA.
That said, Kill remains hopeful: ‘Despite these hardships, our resilience is pushing us through. Innovation and adaptability are at the forefront. We must advocate for fair policies and support to ensure the survival and growth of our beloved industry. The future of nightlife is not just about recovery; it’s about reinvention and progress.’
Coming out the other side of the pandemic, much of the country, myself included, made up for lost time. When I wasn’t frequenting ‘The Dalston Strip’(bounding down Kingsland Road from the Divine and Ridley Road Market Bar to Dalston Superstore and Dalston Jazz Bar), to raves and independent nights – Adonis, Pxssy Palace, Wet and 2C Perrea, to name a few – because we suddenly had years’ worth of partying to catch up on. In fact, I’m still hungover.
The post-Covid ripple effect, paired with a loss of venues, has resulted in today’s rich and inventive spread of nightlife offerings. Just look at Bristol’s airborne drum and bass, the Taylor Swift club nights and Shrek raves (yes, really), or the rise in house parties, superclubs and no-phones discos. With every permanent closure, you’ll see five new events pop up in its place. And, sad as that is, temporary locations are giving rise to a fresher, more diverse crop of experiences, catering to every community and subculture.
‘Unlike cities where nightlife is clustered in one or two places, here in the capital, events pop up all over the place – from the swanky to the grimy,’ says London’s night czar Amy Lamé. ‘We’re seeing lots of short-term, temporary spaces in industrial estates and events on the high streets.’ Lamé was appointed to her role in 2016 by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, to promote the capital’s nightlife and safeguard its venues.
‘There’s a greater focus on sustainable and community-driven nightlife,’ Lamé continues. ‘The lines between club culture and more traditional music events are becoming increasingly blurred’. Last year, City Hall provided support to ensure that Tottenham superclub Drumsheds opened. One of the world’s largest clubs – with a staggering 15,000-person capacity – the impressive venue replaced north London’s Ikea and was brought to us by Broadwick Live, the same team behind Printworks.
'Drumsheds is completely unique, it’s some- thing no one has else done to this scale,’ says Matthew Johnston, director of entertainment at Broadwick Live. One year on from Drumsheds’ opening, the mammoth club is now playing mother to its much smaller siblings. ‘We recently launched our Broadwick Live Presents series, where we’re working with emerging talent and some of our favourite smaller London nightlife venues, including Studio 338, Night Tales Loft, Electric Brixton and Phonox. For UK nightlife to survive and thrive, there needs to be a diversity of offerings,’ explains Johnston. ‘It’s really good to see a big nightlife player like Broadwick Live supporting new, smaller venues,’ adds Lamé.
Back in March, Lamé, along with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, received backlash for claiming that London is a 24-hour city, with many critics arguing that it’s impossible to party in the capital past 3am, and that other UK cities have far superior 24-hour offerings. ‘I can’t think of anywhere in London where I can go to a rave at 11am!’ says Bradford-born jungle-music producer and vocalist Nia Archives.
When DJ Magazine released its global Top 100 Clubs list for 2024, it was Manchester’s Warehouse Project that was ranked the best in Britain, standing at sixth in the world, with London’s Fabric following in seventh place. Nia Archives agrees with the ranking: ‘Warehouse Project is my favourite club in the UK,’ she says.
And it’s not only Manchester’s rave scene that’s thriving, but the city’s LGBTQ-nightlife options, too. ‘Butch Revival is a monthly club night for Manchester’s butches, studs and their admirers – a night inspired by 1980s S&M event Chain Reaction and Manchester’s Haçienda days,’ says founder Louise Dalgleish. ‘Having an inter- generational night is one of the most important things for us, because it’s that bridge between young’uns and the elders. We are close with the founders of Stretford Wives Club, a social for the older generations of lesbians in Manchester, a group that has been going for years.’
Indeed, while UK nightlife is often associated with students, fake tan and Jägerbombs (at least, that was the case in my hometown: post-GCSE paradise Newquay, Cornwall), more and more events, in the style of Butch Revival, are making space for multiple generations. ‘Lockdown gap between 18-22-year-olds and those aged 25-plus much wider, due to a two-year loss in very formative socialisation,’ says Nadine Noor, founder of Pxssy Palace, the immensely popu- lar London-based club night that prioritises women, queer, intersex, trans and non-binary people of colour.
‘Those who are 25 years old and up were suddenly two years older than they were last time they were in the club, but are now partying with 19-year-olds who have never been before. It was a culture shock,’ Noor continues. ‘We wanted to create a space for the 25-plus, so that they can move around the club the way they always have. It’s been really cute, too – we had a couple in their fifties who had not been out in over 10 years.’
It comes as no surprise that in Brighton, the LGBTQ capital of the UK, a queer party can be found on every corner. And while Manchester holds the number-one spot when it comes to nightclub venues, it’s Brighton that is defending its title as the UK’s top party destination. ‘Brighton often feels a little more DIY – we’re rough around the edges – but that’s exciting,’ says Bertie (aka DJ Gaylord), who runs popular club night Polyglamorous. ‘I find that the sillier and camper a night is, the more people feel they can let loose and enjoy themselves. It’s not all about getting an Instagrammable club photo.’
Bertie name-checks Dykes on Decks, Aeon, Gal Pals and Cabarave as some of the best raves, dance parties and underground music events taking place in Brighton right now, as well as Polyglamorous, of course. ‘I think there’s so much power in the range of events Brighton has to offer, whether it’s a night platforming under-represented groups and subcultures, or a Chicken Run-themed rave – we have it all!’
Though Hackney may be lacking in Chicken Run-themed raves, it has become the beating heart of 2024’s so-called ‘lesbian renaissance’. In February, the unofficial opening of La Camionera went viral on social media when the founders accidentally organised ‘Winter Pride’; hundreds of sapphics arrived to celebrate the new bar and subsequently spilled onto Broadway Market, taking over the entire street.
I worked behind the bar that night and can only apologise to those who received a drink from me – making up my own Negroni recipe as I went, throwing around lashings of vermouth as quickly as possible to get to the next person. Evidently, the pure chaos of that evening created a ripple effect, and the bar went on to raise over £80,000 in crowd-funding to open a permanent space.At the start of this year, there was one lesbian bar in London (reliable tourist favourite She Soho). Now there are three. Down the road from La Camionera, Goldie Saloon has just opened its doors. Do the owners worry about sustaining business? ‘The love outweighs the fear,’ says founder Mai Harris. ‘The support has flooded in from all angles and has truly been the forward movement and inspiration we needed to continue, and make Goldie Saloon into something. Goldie’s is here to be everyone’s favourite living room. It really does just feel like a home.’
Michael Kill of the NTIA believes that our new Labour government offers hope for recently opened businesses like Goldie’s. ‘By addressing issues like business rates and licensing, and providing financial support, we can create a more sustainable environment for nightclubs and live-music venues,’ says Kill. ‘I am optimistic that a Labour government will help reduce club closures and revitalise the nightlife economy, making it a vibrant and integral part of UK culture once again.’ Amy Lamé agrees: ‘We are really excited to work with the new government to ensure that London’s nightlife is supported.’ No matter your age, location, music taste or budget, in 2024 there is a party for everyone. Whatever the future holds for our clubs and bars, our love of going out isn’t fading anytime soon – the nightlife scene is simply getting more creative in the face of venue closures. Clubbing is about more than escapism. It’s about finding your new besties in the loos and being showered with compliments that you didn’t know you needed to hear. It’s hearing your favourite song boom through the speakers and moving at the speed of light to get to the dancefloor. It’s locking eyes with some- one in the smoking area and pretending you don’t have a lighter as an excuse to talk to them. It’s a hunger for connection that the online world will never be able to feed. Whatever your tastes may be, our nightlife industry is preparing a feast.
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This article appears in the October issue of ELLE UK.
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