The Night Time Industries Assocation (NTIA) has issued its second annual report on the UK’s nightlife and electronic music industry, and has found that clubbing is in decline across the nation.
The nightlife body’s Electronic Beats, Economic Treats 2024 report focuses on the benefits of electronic music and clubbing to the UK economy, and says people took around 90 million visits to clubs for electronic music in 2023 – a decrease of nine percent on the previous year.
More starkly, the UK lost 31 nightclubs (or four percent of its total) in 2023, according to the NTIA. This means that 396 in total, or 32 percent, have shut since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Additionally, electronic music contributed £2.5 billion to the UK’s economy last year — a six percent drop on 2022.
In more positive news, the report found that the economic contribution from UK festivals experienced a nine percent increase to £567.8m. A further £285.5m came from other live electronic music events, reflecting a five percent rise.
Elsewhere, the report looks at the impact of recorded electronic music, with relation to streaming figures and other factors, as well as the diversity and experiences of audiences at various kinds of events within the UK. You can read it in full here.
