The Great Clubbing Collapse: What Happened to the ‘Good Old Days’?

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For as long as I can remember, university existed as a glittering horizon of pure hedonism. I vividly recall the way my mum described it, holding my hand on a park bench as we watched a couple of students walk past, mascara smudged down their cheeks and a potent smell of booze trailing them.

“I remember that feeling,” she smiled, “Dancing all night, diabolical hangover, cheese sandwich, 9 am lecture.”

It didn’t sound massively appealing, but she glowed at the thought, a grin pushing at the corners of her mouth. I could feel her memories, hear the laughs and music, assuming I’d be in for the same thrill.

Disappointingly, these ‘glory days’ were more of a mirage than a reality, the promise of a horribly wonderful night out fading before it ever began. I sensed that something dark was afoot a couple of days before my 18th birthday, when a classic music venue in my home city closed, replaced by a wellness gym. Some of my brother’s mates were even posting “RIP Moles” on their Instagram stories. They were mourning the club - a sweaty underground labyrinth propping up good bands and better memories. It began to sink in that something fundamental to UK university culture was petering away.

It is hardly surprising that the number of nightclubs shutting in the UK is rising rapidly. 405 venues have barred late-night ravers for good since 2020, a harrowing 32.7% decline, according to the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA).

There are many reasons why students are no longer the industry’s trusted scaffolding: rising costs of tuition fees, club tickets, and alcohol mean that splurging £60 on a night out is easier to abstain from. It’s also impossible to ignore social media’s role, with lifestyle trends leaning towards wholesome ‘slow living’, or a gym-oriented ‘grindset’.

With online rhetoric pushing ‘gains’, 8 hours of sleep, and a tub of cottage cheese a day, more money is being spent on protein powder than music events. Now that 24-hour gyms outnumber nightclubs, what have we put at stake? Social connection is first in the firing line, with one study finding that dancing in sync promotes social bonding and a unique sense of unity. I’ve tangibly felt that connection with friends - hysterical laughter over the previous night’s events, ignoring the empty kebab boxes strewn across the bedroom floor. On top of this, dance floors are breeding grounds for endorphins; concrete fuel for self-esteem. All the evidence leads us back to the same scene: nightclub queues buzzing with excitement, with young people gravitating to the stress-relieving powerhouses that have been integral to UK culture for decades.

And we’re losing more than just group connection. The number of young people having casual sex has rapidly declined, in part due to the loss of shared community areas where people can ‘get on the pull’. And while the reasons behind the decline are varied, it’s fair to say that lively clubs and the occasional dose of Dutch courage have historically boosted students’ confidence with intimacy.

We are risking the extinction of messy and magical spaces where students can - for lack of a better cliché - let loose. Perhaps the “good old days” really are just nostalgia-soaked memories of our parents’ generation. It is undeniable, though, that clubs offer a place to collide with strangers and stumble into stories worth retelling.

There are hopeful whispers too - of day raves and bigger bi-monthly events - hinting that the culture may be shifting rather than slipping away. And while the lights feel unmistakably switched on for now, the jury’s still out on when last orders will be called.