If the night is disappearing, party by day
This explosion of daytime partying might seem at odds with the increasingly common narrative around the “death of club culture” in London. The statistics certainly make for grim reading, with Mixmag reporting that a predicted 57 per cent of London’s pubs and clubs could close by 2030.
So what’s behind the downturn in late-night venues? “It’s less about law and more an accumulation of challenges that have made operating late at night in London increasingly difficult,” says Luke Huxham, managing director of Broadwick Live. “Since Covid, the industry has faced rising operating costs, inconsistent licensing frameworks and planning decisions that allow residential development next to venues that were there first.”
In some ways, the rise of day parties feels like a direct response. If it’s becoming harder to party all night, why not dance all day? “Partly it’s the industry adapting to how hard it’s become to operate late at night in London,” Luke agrees. “But partly it’s a shift in how people want to socialise, drinking less, craving new experiences and still wanting to dance even if late nights don’t fit their lives anymore.”
It’s a shift I’ve noticed in myself and my peers, too. While Millennials might occasionally roll their eyes at Gen Z’s obsession with health and wellbeing, there’s something increasingly appealing about a party that doesn’t require sacrificing an entire weekend to recover from. DJ Moxie has been at the forefront of both London’s late-night and day party culture and recognises this wellbeing shift: “Nightlife and club culture bring so much to our city, but it’s not for everyone”, she says, “I think having the option to dance and still have a relatively early night is attractive for a lot of people.” It represents a significant departure from the all-nighters and unapologetic hedonism so deeply entwined with the history of clubbing and festival culture. But perhaps that’s exactly the point – London’s party culture isn’t disappearing, it’s just changing shape.
Crowds at Magazine Open-Air
Sienna Lorraine GrayHow do you curate the environment to keep the energy of a nighttime rave?
“You have to really think about how the spaces look and feel, from daytime into dusk and sunset into night, and storyboard that journey,” Simon Denby co-founder of Body Movements explains. “The space has to be lit very thoughtfully, as, for example, beams of light don’t work in the same way in daylight as they do in a dark club, without the haze over the dance floor.”