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It’s a sobering fact: the London night out is getting shorter. For many of us, the magic is ending at midnight – according to new stats from YouGov and hospitality group Little Door & Co, 45 percent of Londoners are calling it a night before 12, even if they want to stay out later.
The figures for early retirement from the sesh are even higher for 18-34 year olds, 55 percent of which say they have to end the night early because there’s just nowhere to go.
There are several reasons behind London’s early bedtime. For one, nocturnal possibilities have shrivelled up in recent years, with more than a quarter of nightclubs gone for good since the pandemic. The situation is particularly stark in the centre of town, where many venues are moving out to find cheaper rents and more favourable licensing.
The heady rush of a spontaneous night out can quickly fade when the final order bells start ringing out at 11, and your options are a sticky-floored corporate lounge or an ambitious trek to a trendy techno suburb in the distant east. You’ll find that superclubs like Drumsheds sell out well in advance, and grassroots nightlife is waning. Basically, your pickings are slim.
Patchy public transport is a big part of the problem. Forty-five percent of respondents told the study that a lack of routes home would force us to call it a night. Nobody wants to find themselves wandering the curb in the early hours, and then facing the cold light of day checking your Uber bill in the morning.
Nearly half of Londoners have had less than 3 big nights out this year
Borough councils hold the power to decide late-night licences, and they’ve also been insisting on earlier bedtimes for revellers. Hackney Council, for one, has been allegedly mandating all new venues close by 11pm. It’s no wonder that less and less of us are braving a night out on the town: 44 percent of London residents have hit less than three late-night venues in the past year.
Back in our school days, when the elusive club was a distant grown-up fantasy, we might have just all crammed into someone’s parent’s living room instead. But even the humble house party has taken a hit, according to the research. Half of us in the capital haven’t thrown a house party in the past year.
The biggest reason, cited by a quarter of respondents, is because of renting. Keeping on good terms with the neighbours and gripping on tight to that sweet, sweet deposit means having an old-fashioned bash in the kitchen has fallen by the wayside. That probably explains why the stats are even more dramatic for under 35s, with only 34 percent up for hosting.
On the hunt for somewhere to go after midnight? Here’s our guide to places in central London open past 1am.
It’s official: here are the 38 best nightclubs in London
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