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‘Music, friendship, opportunity, freedom’: the rise in clubs and gigs for neurodivergent people

Autistic people and those with ADHD can feel stressed at regular gigs, prompting a wave of carefully tailored new events. But can they cater to incredibly diverse needs?

As charities like Stay Up Late campaign to increase nightlife access for autistic people and adults with learning disabilities, neurodivergent promoters are taking matters into their own hands, informed by lived experience and community research. Disco Neurotico, a reimagined rave series that puts on events for neurodivergent and anxious clubbers across England, are now looking to implement “chaos rooms”: spaces filled with soft-play structures, drum’n’bass and strobe lighting, which will provide a safe environment for sensory-seeking punters. And when their needs are met, the impact on neurodiverse people is palpable, as Florence Little of Stay Up Late explains: “The reason we focus on a good night out is because it contains some of the most important things in life: music, friendship, opportunity, freedom.”

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