UK FACES WAVE OF GIG VENUE CLOSURES THREATENING LIVE MUSIC CULTURE
Story by Arden Vale
18 Sep 2025
Nearly 800 UK late-night venues have closed since 2020, with three more closing each week. Rising costs, reduced footfall and funding cuts are putting music spaces at risk, sparking fears of ‘night-time deserts'.
The UK’s live music scene is facing an unprecedented crisis, as almost one in four late-night venues have closed since he pandemic - around 800 in total. Today, only about 2,400 such venues remain, and the rate of closures is accelerating, with an average of three shutting their doors every week.
A mix of financial pressures is driving the decline. Rising rents, surging utility bills and reduced consumer spending have left many venues operating on razor-thin margins, often as low as 0.5% profit. At the same time, property development, planning restrictions and licensing battles are forcing several historic venues to shut or repurpose.
Campaigners argue that without urgent intervention, the UK risks hollowing out it’s live-music ecosystem and losing the cultural vibrancy that has long defined its nightlife.
Have any venues closed down near you? Email socials@gigshack.co.uk or comment down below.