Nightclubs are disappearing - and it's affecting young people

Under-30s have described missing out on being able to "let loose and mess around" because of a "bleak" lack of nightlife where they live.

Henry Gannon said that growing up in Woking he had seen places for young people to gather and socialise "die away".

Woking once had multiple late-night venues - now it does not have any traditional dedicated nightclubs left in the town centre.

Gannon blamed the situation on the cost of living crisis, which he said was "pricing out" those in their 20s from enjoying themselves.

"There isn't really anything to do for younger people who often don't have much expendable income," he said.

Alternative options, the 23-year-old added, were "Wetherspoons, sitting in the park or getting a prohibitively expensive taxi back from another town or city".

"I feel like I am missing out on a crucial part of being my age, which is being able to let loose, mess around and enjoy life.

A quarter of UK towns have lost all their nightclubs, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) said in 2025.

"These figures are a stark warning of the systematic erosion of Britain's nightlife infrastructure," said NTIA CEO Michael Kill.

"The damage, as we see it, is increasingly irreversible. Once these venues disappear, they rarely return."

Adam said the nightlife situation in Tonbridge - where the last club closed several years ago - was "pretty minimal".

"There are some nice pubs and small bars, though most things close around midnight," he said.

But the 29-year-old, originally from the US, said he was drawn to Kent town as it was "quieter and more relaxed".

Still, Adam said, the lack of nightlife forced younger people to go elsewhere for a night out, which impacted the local economy.