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Clubbing has changed dramatically in the past 25 years: is the party over, or just getting started?

When the millennium dawned Britain’s nightlife was as strong as it had ever been. Now, 25 years later the situation is very different – but not all change has been bad, DJs and promoters say

A huge amount of this is down to hard and intentional work by creative collectives, such as the Reprezent radio station where Jamz learned her craft alongside the likes of her 6 Music colleague Sherelle; the Saffron mentoring programme for women and non-binary artists and DJs; and small venues that are run as community spaces – complete with daytime cafes, studios and more. Mina recounts recently doing a fact-finding tour of the UK with the founder of Nairobi club MIST, and finding a constellation of “hard-working, passionate and inspiring people” running grassroots venues such as the Jam Jar in Bristol, Peckham Audio and Sister Midnight in London, Cosmic Slop in Leeds and Cobalt Studios in Newcastle upon Tyne. Through small and alternative nights, such as Mina’s Club Soft alcohol-free day parties or Jamz’s No Edits midweek Peckham dances, high-end sound systems, skilled DJs and music that’s not beholden to creating TikTok moments are thriving.

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