Neon Renaissance: How London nights are changing

London has never been a truly 24-hour city like New York or Barcelona, but it does know how to have a good night out. Or at least it did. As proof that London’s after-dark identity is changing, there’s now reported to be more than three times as many 24-hour gyms in London than there are 24-hour clubs.For a growing number of people, wellness and rest are starting to push aside the old-school hedonism of a late night out. Part of this is generational. Last year only 33% of young people said their friends commonly binge drink, compared to 84% in 2004. With younger celebs such as Tom Holland embracing sobriety, the appeal of heavy drinking is starting to lose some of its social shine. Add in cost-of-living pressures, particularly for core demographics like students, and the big night out is no longer a taken-for-granted.

Even when people want to stay out late, finding somewhere to do so can be tricky. For many councils and communities, peace, safety, and minimising disruption often outweigh the draw of a thriving nighttime economy. In Soho, the historic heart of London’s late-night culture, licensing guidelines typically discourage new pubs, bars, music and dance venues from staying open past midnight.

The figures are sobering. Across the UK, an average of three nightclubs per week have been lost since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Last year the Night Time Industries Association warned that, if closures continue at the same rate, every last club in the UK will have vanished by 2030. If taken at face value, much of Gen Alpha may find it hard to experience a club night at all.

Still, there are signs things are picking up for the nighttime economy. Just recently, the London branch of New York’s Blue Note jazz club, set to open in Covent Garden next year, won an appeal to stay open until 1am from Monday to Saturday. Other new late-night openings may soon be similarly successful: in April, the government announced plans for a pilot scheme that would allow the Mayor of London to overturn local decisions on licensing hours, potentially allowing more venues to stay open later.

While clubs may be struggling, late-night dining seems to be enjoying something of a resurgence. This week, the owner of Mountain in Soho and Brat in Shoreditch claimed super-late dinners were starting to make a post-Covid comeback. In Chinatown, guests can book tables until 1.45am on Saturday nights at the Noodle and Beer while in Mayfair, The Dover is reportedly 80–90% full for its 11.30 pm sittings from Thursday to Saturday. Proof, perhaps, that the appetite for New-York style late-night outings hasn’t vanished completely.

When we think about how to develop and curate built environments, these shifts present opportunities for design. They demand spaces evolve to accommodate new habits while also preserving and safe-guarding industries under pressure. While the appeal of the big night out may no longer be so universal, the idea of a good night out in London is very much alive and evolving. Whether you want to dine, work out or go dancing at midnight – and it’s all possible – London remains one of the world’s most exciting nighttime destinations.

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