The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has revealed the members of a new independent Nightlife Taskforce that has been created to help support the capital’s life at night.
The Taskforce brings together a range of experts from the frontline of the capital’s nightlife to examine and address the issues facing the industries, and provide recommendations on how to ensure the nighttime economy can thrive.
In recent years London’s nightlife and nighttime industries, along with other cities in the UK, have faced a huge range of challenges. These include the long-lasting impact of the pandemic, rising rents and business rates, staffing shortages, licensing and planning issues, and cost-of-living and cost-of-doing business pressures.
Sadiq is determined to do all he can to work with partners to help the capital’s nightlife communities and industries navigate these challenges and buck global trends, which is why he’s brought together London’s first ever Nightlife Taskforce.
The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) recently published figures showing a 32.7 per cent decline in nightclubs across the country since 2020. London saw the smallest decline with a 19.7 per cent decrease from March 2020 to November 2024, compared to Manchester which saw a decrease of 33.3 per cent and Birmingham had a drop of 38.5 per cent.
Despite these ongoing challenges, the landscape of London’s nightlife continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of Londoners and visitors to the capital. This has seen it diversify from zone one to include a range of other locations including Hackney, Peckham and Tottenham.
The Taskforce will be chaired by Cameron Leslie, Co-founder and Director of fabric, and includes representatives from the heart of London’s nightlife, including Nadine Noor, Founder of Pxssy Palace, Nathanael Williams, Founder of Colour Factory, and Alice Hoffman Fuller, Head of Operations at Corsica Studios; as well key industry bodies Kate Nicholls CEO of UK Hospitality, Mike Kill CEO of Night Time Industries Association, and Sophie Brownlee, External Affairs Manager at Music Venue Trust.
Each member brings a wealth of experience and expertise, and over the next six months they will meet regularly to examine and address the challenges and opportunities facing London’s ever-evolving nightlife.
They will have access to an advisory group that will includes representatives from the Met Police, TfL, London Councils, trade unions, the broader business community and supply chain businesses. They will also be supported by Nightlife Research consultants Vibe Lab who will be calling on Londoners to help provide evidence to the taskforce to help develop their recommendations.
The Taskforce will provide a series of recommendations to the Mayor that will then help to build on City Hall’s ongoing work to support nightlife.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (pictured above), said:
“London’s nightlife industries are vital to the success of our capital, but, as with other cities across the country, they have faced a huge range of challenges in recent years. The rising cost of living and operational costs, shifts in consumer behaviour, staffing shortages and licensing issues have all been hitting businesses hard. I’m determined to do all I can to work alongside our nighttime industries, which is why I’ve brought together this independent taskforce of experts to examine and address the opportunities and issues facing the industry. Their expertise and unparalleled knowledge garnered from years of working across a range of nighttime industries will help to inform and develop our collective efforts to support nightlife, as we continue to build a better London for everyone.”
Cameron Leslie, Co-founder and Director, fabric, said:
“I’m delighted to have been invited to lead this newly assembled independent Nightlife Taskforce. This group that has come together, represents some of the best of what London has to offer, across an incredibly broad spectrum. We are all excited about the future of nightlife in our wonderful city, and are also acutely aware of the stark challenges we face. The Taskforce cannot wave a magic wand to make things better but I truly believe through our experience, expertise, knowledge, relationships and desire we can put forward something meaningful by which all stakeholders and individuals who genuinely want to see London’s vibrant nighttime economy thrive and grow can then get behind.”
Nadine Noor, Founder of Pxssy Palace, said:
“I’m looking forward to be part of this Taskforce because I believe collaboration is key. Working together enables us to stay active, hold each other accountable, and drive meaningful change that reflects the vibrancy and diversity of London’s nightlife.”
Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said:
“I was delighted to lead the first groundbreaking report into London’s nightlife, and I’m pleased the Mayor is reaffirming his commitment to the nighttime economy through this new taskforce. London’s vibrant nightlife is world-renowned and, while there are undoubtedly significant challenges facing our nightlife businesses, it still has the potential to grow and build on that reputation. I look forward to working with the taskforce to develop new solutions that can support businesses in the capital to both survive and thrive.”