← topics
Club closures and nightlife policy
Clubs close for reasons that rarely make the headline: rent, business rates, licensing rules, redevelopment and a generation that goes out less often. This hub collects RTS.FM's reporting on all of them, with the published numbers where they exist and a plain statement where they do not.
Start with the European tracker for the cross-city picture, then read the UK pieces on licensing and planning, the Berlin survey data, and the individual closures (Munich's BLITZ, Digbeth's rail-hub threat, Printworks' return) that sit behind the statistics.
- start here // 11.10.26Tracking Europe's Club Closures, City by CityOnly 61% of Berlin clubs broke even in 2025, down from 79% in 2017. We pulled the real closure numbers from five cities into one tracker.
- 19.09.26Why the UK Keeps Losing Its NightclubsUK nightclubs are closing at three a week; here's what's actually driving it, and how Berlin and Amsterdam's policies compare.
- 22.10.26Night-Time Licences in England: 14 Years of Home Office DataHome Office data: licences up 13% since 2011/12, members' clubs down 21%, reviews halved. The growth is shops, not clubs. What it can and can't show.
- 22.10.26Where Nightclubs Go: A Year of UK Planning ApplicationsWe searched UK planning records for a year. 33 nightclub sites sought a new use, most often housing, and only one refusal is on record. Data and method.
- 02.11.26Nightlife Decline: Are Young Adults Going Out Less?Are young adults going out less? 61% of 18 to 30s did in London, UK clubs are down 36.1% since 2020, yet Berlin's floors are full. The primary data.
- 14.10.26REMEL Report: Black Music Events Face More Licensing BlocksA GLA-commissioned REMEL study says Black-led events in London are cancelled more often, costing £127m to £141m a year. What it shows, and what it can't.
- 20.10.26Digbeth Clubs vs the Midlands Rail Hub: What Is at StakeFive Birmingham venues say the £1.75bn Midlands Rail Hub could displace over 50 Digbeth businesses. What is proposed, what is disputed and what comes next.
- 11.10.26Munich Loses BLITZ, One of Germany's Top Techno RoomsMunich's BLITZ, an Ilian Tape home base since 2017, closes for good after an 80+ artist farewell run, amid Germany's wider club-closure wave.
- 05.11.26Printworks Refuses to Stay Buried: London's ReturnSouthwark approved a Printworks venue in 2024, but the 2026 target has slipped. What is confirmed, what is reported and what is still open.
Related from other topics
- 16.10.26Wilde Renate Berlin: History, Entry, Address and LeaseWilde Renate is a maze-like club on Alt-Stralau in Friedrichshain, Berlin. Open since 2007, it won a new ten-year lease in 2025. Facts and history.
- 11.10.26Best Berlin Clubs 2026: A Guide to Techno's CapitalA dated guide to the Berlin clubs verified as operating in October 2026, from Berghain and Tresor to Sisyphos, about blank and Renate.