- Published
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.
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they → publish → nightlife
Henry Gannon said that growing up in Woking he had seen places for young people to gather and socialise "die away".
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people → say → Woking
"Communal areas just seem to have vanished," he added.
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he → seem → ?
Woking once had multiple late-night venues - now it does not have any traditional dedicated nightclubs left in the town centre.
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it → have → centre
Gannon blamed the situation on the cost of living crisis, which he said was "pricing out" those in their 20s from enjoying themselves.
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he → blame → themselves
"There isn't really anything to do for younger people who often don't have much expendable income," he said.
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he → be → income
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".
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old → add → town
"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.
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which → feel → life
A quarter of UK towns have lost all their nightclubs, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) said in 2025.
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Association → lose → 2025
It added that one in six towns have no late-night venues left.
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towns → add → venues
"These figures are a stark warning of the systematic erosion of Britain's nightlife infrastructure," said NTIA CEO Michael Kill.
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Kill → say → infrastructure
"We are facing a national cultural crisis.
"The damage, as we see it, is increasingly irreversible.
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we → face → it
Once these venues disappear, they rarely return."
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they → disappear → ?
'Young people making do'
Adam said the nightlife situation in Tonbridge - where the last club closed several years ago - was "pretty minimal".
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club → make → Tonbridge
"There are some nice pubs and small bars, though most things close around midnight," he said.
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he → be → midnight
But the 29-year-old, originally from the US, said he was drawn to Kent town as it was "quieter and more relaxed".
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it → say → town
Still, Adam said, the lack of nightlife forced younger people to go elsewhere for a night out, which impacted the local economy.
"It is definitely a missed opportunity," he added.
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he → say → economy
While he recognised nightclubs were spaces for meeting others, Adam said there was also a trend of younger people going out and drinking less - which was good for their health.
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which → recognise → health
The BBC previously heard from under-30s that were opting out of drinking culture and getting their "social fix" from the gym.
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that → hear → gym
They said that alcohol-free socialising was empowering, avoided hangovers and let them meet like-minded people.
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them → say → people
Others have also pointed to a cultural shift with more people skipping clubs for sober social events.
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people → point → events
Finn Ashcroft, from Chichester in West Sussex, said after Covid "people were finding it harder to get out and socialise".
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it → say → Covid
However, he said it was important to emphasise that many under-30s were "making do" without clubs and instead creating their own events.
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under-30s → say → events
While its traditional nightclubs had closed, Ashcroft said Chichester had plenty of spaces that could be used for music and dancing.
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that → close → music
He told the BBC he had set up the event companies C-Side Sounds and Strictly Grooves to "push music locally" in these spaces.
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he → tell → spaces
"Students were champing at the bit for somewhere to go," he said.
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he → champ → bit
"We've definitely helped nurture nightlife within the city."
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We → help → city
The 22-year-old said the "most important thing" people looking for more nightlife where they live could do was "be vocal about it".
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they → say → it
"They have the power to [get] local councils and governing bodies to make sure there are spaces for people... to make memories together."
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people → have → memories
The Aporia
