Once upon a time, there was a thriving nightlife scene throughout the UK. Most towns and all cities had a wide range of clubs to visit whether you were into funk, punk, jazz, or disco – or just wanted somewhere to go for a night out that was a bit more exciting than the pub.

Places where they had entry restrictions like no trainers or football shirts and where the bouncers, as they were then called, had the ultimate power of whether to admit you or send you packing.

Kent was no exception with clubs like the legendary Atomics in Maidstone where guest artists like Boy George used to regularly perform on stage, and Dusty’s in Ashford which made great use of the disused flour mill on East Hill before becoming the even more famous Liquid. Sadly, both these names, along with many more, are long gone, and there are fears that the end might be in sight for the county’s nightlife scene in general. This would undoubtedly be a great loss if it were to disappear altogether. But if it’s to follow the trend nationwide, the writing might be on the wall.

Going, going, gone

According to a recent report published by the Night Time Industries Association between 2020 and 2023 31% of the UK’s clubs closed their doors and waved their punters off into the night for the last time. This amounted to no less than 396 venues spread across the UK.

There are real fears that if this trend of closures continues at this rate there will only be a handful of venues left by the time we reach 2030.

It’s not just nightclubs, either. Pubs are also disappearing at an alarming rate, with around 30 closings every week. Independent music venues have been affected too, thanks to economic circumstances and other factors.

So, what is it that’s leading to this decline in the number of places where we can enjoy ourselves after dark? There are a number of reasons with many seeing the Covid-19 pandemic as when things started to change. Following the series of enforced lockdown closures, it seems like the popularity of many venues has never really recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

There’s also the issue of rising prices. After lengthy periods of being closed, once they were allowed to open again it was necessary for entrance fees to go up and drinks prices to increase. Added to this, landlords who had agreed to a rent freeze or reduction in the period then wanted to recoup some of their own losses. With the costs of going out inevitably rising, and the economic situation not great for most people, it’s not very surprising that the business wasn’t there anymore.

Changing habits

Of course, these aren’t the only reasons that the nightlife scene has changed beyond all recognition. The world we live in has been transformed by the arrival of the internet. So many of the things we used to go out to do are now carried out remotely. A prime example of this has been trips to the casino. Once, this was an outing that many people enjoyed for an evening out that was a bit different, not to mention with a hint of glamour. However, the arrival of online casinos has had a major effect on the number of people visiting these venues. Now they can go online to find a rundown of many UK casinos from Casino.org, choose which one they want to play on remotely, and away they go, meaning people are less likely nowadays to pop into a brick-and-mortar establishment.

Similarly, the 20-somethings who used to be the bread and butter of the nightclub scene might now prefer to spend their nights playing multiplayer video games with friends and even people who they may never have met before. Then there’s the question of romance. In the old days, many relationships started in nightclubs, which were the perfect places to meet potential partners. However, a far more common way to meet someone is via a dating app. These are all factors that contribute to painting a fairly pessimistic picture of the future of nightlife in Kent.

Yes, there may be exceptions in the future. For example, Margate’s increasing popularity means that there is quite an influx of young, reasonably wealthy people wanting to escape from London. This could provide the impetus for a new club or two to open up there. But for places like Ashford and Maidstone, it seems unlikely that the nightlife scene can be brought back to life very effectively. It’s sad, but perhaps it’s time to face up to the fact that it’s fun daytime activities that are more likely to take centre stage in future. It’s not such great news for the county’s late-night taxi firms, but it’s possibly good for the rest of us.