Major North-East industry badly hit as 4 in 5 nightclubs may not survive February

The Coronavirus pandemic threatens the future of UK nightlife, Kate Lovell reports

Kate Lovell
17th February 2021
Featured Image: Unsplash

NTIA, the Night Time Industries Association finds that 4 out of 5 nightclubs may close by the end of February, unless immediate action is taken by the government.

Many nightclubs in Newcastle city-centre face closure. World Headquarters, for example, is currently awaiting the outcome of a funding application to sustain it until July. Meanwhile, The Chronicle reports that ‘Digital - classed as one of the best clubs in the world - is already wiping 2021 off the calendar before it expects to see any chance of recovery.’

Some nightclubs were able to benefit from the easing of restrictions over the summer, operating as bars with table service. However, it has been nearly a year since most night clubs in the UK have been open and functioning as normal.

According to the NTIA survey, which involved 100 nightclubs across the country, many nightclub owners believe they will go out of business within weeks.

In November, Newcastle MP Catherine McKinnel said nightclubs are ‘the fabric of Newcastle and the North East’. In October, Ian Thomas, director of Leisure Tourism and Research at Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, said the tourism sector was already facing a revenue drop of £800m and a loss of 100 000 jobs even before autumn’s restrictions were put in place. With clubs not being able to open at all since November, this figure can only have increased.

The NTIA has urged the government to provide financial support for this industry. It has also launched several campaigns to protect it, including #LETUSDANCE, and #SAVENIGHTLIFE. Time will tell whether these campaigns are enough to secure the government funding needed to keep Newcastle’s nightlife alive after the pandemic.

For more information about the NTIA campaigns, visit: https://www.ntia.co.uk/ntia-case-for-support-2020/

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