Britain’s Late-Night Economy Could Lose 10,000 More Businesses and 150,000 Jobs by 2028 - Chancellor Must Act in Autumn Budget 24 Nov 2025
- Late-night venues - bars, nightclubs, casinos, and other high-tempo hospitality sites - have fallen 28% since March 2020, with 4.6% of that decline in the last 12 months alone
- Independent venues are hardest hit, down 30.6% since 2020, more than double the decline among larger operators
- Operating costs - energy, supply chains, and staff costs, particularly NIC hikes, have crippled operators
- Indirect pressures, such as the potential for higher fuel prices, alcohol duty, taxi fares, and gambling levies in the Autumn Budget, could reduce consumer disposable income and increase costs, limiting late-night spending
- Many venues warn that, if the Budget is unfavourable, they may have no choice but to hand back keys or close doors at the start of the New Year
- 7,000–10,000 additional venues could close by 2028
- A 15–20% contraction on top of the 28% already lost since 2020
- 150,000 jobs in hospitality, live music, events, security, and support industries at risk
- Grassroots and independent venues will suffer the worst losses, threatening cultural infrastructure and creative industries
- Licensed premises operating earlier in the day are up 0.9% year-on-year, now only 7.4% smaller than pre-pandemic
- Demand for hospitality still exists, showing the late-night sector is structurally under pressure, not a collapse in consumer demand
Call to Action
- Avoid introducing further direct or indirect taxes that impact operators or reduce consumer disposable income
- Introduce targeted tax and business rates relief for late-night venues, especially grassroots and independent sites
- Invest in safe late-night transport, urban infrastructure, and public safety
- Recognise the late-night economy as critical national infrastructure, supporting jobs, tourism, culture, and communities
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THE HEADLINES
20 years of Spotify — who’s winning, losing and making money? (see Features)
The future of labels: Shifting sands (see Comment)
Robert Kyncl on Udio deal: Growing the value of music for artists and songwriters (see News)
Ticket touts’ worst nightmare has finally come true (see Comment)
Universal's bid for Downtown is set to be hit by a formal warning from European Union watchdogs (see Business)
Reselling tickets for profit to be outlawed in UK government crackdown (see News)
Some answers to Haven's 'I Run' chart-excluded track (see News)
"Without competition, the free market becomes a monopoly" (see Opinion)
What are pop-up shows teaching us about building fandom in 2025? (see Analysis)
How much AI will audiences accept in music and movies? (see Analysis)
Stars urge Kier Starmer to tackle ‘pernicious’ ticket tout websites (see News)
Report reveals UK music industry contributes record £8bn to UK economy. (see Reports)
Deezer publishes survey on AI music (see Reports)
Songs are going viral faster than ever — but fewer are becoming streaming hits (see Analysis)