UK late-night venues post first growth since March 2025

The number of UK late-night venues rose 0.4% between March and June 2026, the first expansion of the sector since March 2025, according to data from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) produced with market analysts NielsenIQ. The figures cover bars, nightclubs and casinos that open late into the night, net of closures. Despite the uptick, venue numbers remain 3.1% lower than in June 2025 and 28.7% below March 2020 levels, a decline equivalent to an average of 12 net closures a month. Nightclubs have been hardest hit, falling 36.1% since the pandemic began, compared with a 14.4% decline across hospitality as a whole. Of the late-night venues operating before Covid, 48% remain unchanged, 38% have exited the market and 14% are new entrants, the report found. Bars are the only major subsector to have grown, standing 3.1% above pre-pandemic levels. Cocktail bars have increased 39.9%, craft beer bars 22% and themed bars 290.8%. The data also points to a shift towards earlier opening hours, with the 5pm to 7pm period now accounting for 25.1% of on-premise sales, compared with 24.4% between 7pm and 10pm. Sales after 7pm have fallen 1.