Nightclubs all over London are disappearing before our eyes, from trendy haunts in east London to cheap and cheerful Croydon.
The closure and subsequent reopening of London super-club Fabric after an impassioned campaign flung the future of UK nightlife into the public consciousness, while 2016 was the first year club openings outweighed closures in years.
In this 3-day package we’ll examine how, underpinned by a greater public consciousness, London’s nightlife might be primed for a rebirth. Then, we’ll be documenting the evolution of Hackney’s nightlife and explaining why nightlife matters. That’s all before our final day, where we’re looking to the future.
DAY ONE: The Blight
- Who blighted the night? A detailed analysis of why clubs have closed
- Mapping the decline of ELL nightclubs: Where have clubs closed across Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham and Croydon since 2007? Find out here on this exploratory map
- Which clubber are you? Find yourself in our tongue-in-cheek guide to night-time revellers
DAY TWO: Why it Matters
- Utopia after dark: Why Nightlife Matters: a holistic look at what nightclubs contribute and why what we do after dark matters
- 6 clubs that changed Hackney: a short video taking you from 1967 into the present
- 50 years: A brief history of London club culture in an interactive timeline
DAY THREE: The Hope
- Five Reasons to be Cheerful: an in-depth look at how club culture is fighting back, featuring a chat with Dan Beaumont, DJ, owner of Dalston Superstore and founder of now defunct Dance Tunnel
- Quiz: Raver or Recluse – how much do you know about going out in London?
- Our interactive clubbing guide. Email us with your memories!
- Four things you can do to help save London nightlife