For Brits turning 18, a sweaty, alcopop-fueled night in your nearest Pryzm or Atik has long been a rite of passage. But soon, a bunch of those spaces where many of us cut our nightclubbing teeth will be no more
Owned by the UK’s biggest nightclub operators, Rekom UK, the clubs are known for their eclectic musical lineups, playing anything from bubblegum pop to indie crowd pleasers to 90s garage and R&B. Now, following an ‘extremely difficult’ year, amid a ‘challenging time for the industry’, Rekom UK has announced that 17 of its venues are closing with immediate effect.
Reckon UK announced that it was going into administration at the beginning of this year due to a hefty rise in costs and smaller budgets of young people. The list of clubs getting the scrap include Pryzm in Leeds and Atik in Wrexham, with the Leeds closure resulting in the loss of 55 staff.
Peter Marks, chairman of Rekon, said: ‘This outcome follows an extremely difficult period for the late-night sector, thanks to the combination of the cost-of-living crisis hitting younger generations and students particularly hard, as well as the rising national living wage alongside increased business rates and costs of operating.’
Eleven sites, including the iconic Pryzm Kingston have been sold to other operators, so will remain open. Another 12 will stay under the the ownership of Rekon UK.
Which Pryzm, Atik and Liquid & Envy nightclubs are shutting?
Here’s the full list of Atik, Pryzm and other Rekon UK branches set to shut their doors:
- Basildon Unit 7
- Birmingham Pryzm
- Coventry Jumpin Jaks
- Dartford Atik
- Exeter Unit 1
- Kings Lynn Bar & Beyond
- Leeds Pryzm
- Nottingham Pryzm
- Oldham Liquid & Envy
- Plymouth Pryzm
- Portsmouth Pryzm
- Romford Atik
- Swansea Level 17
- Watford Pryzm
- Watford Steinbeck & Shaw
- Windsor Atik
- Wrexham Atik
If you’re a loyal Pryzm/Atik fanatic, perhaps this is your sign to branch out a little. Our in-house Time Out nightlife experts have lovingly curated a list of the UK’s best club nights so you can do just that.
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