Nightlife is in transition—but what should actually be done about it?

It’s been five years since the COVID-19 pandemic, but its aftershocks are still visible in the urban night culture and its operating conditions. Of course, this change is no longer solely due to the pandemic's impact, but also reflects broader shifts in nightlife consumption habits, the fragmentation of nighttime communities, rising prices, and a generational shift. This phenomenon is not unique to Finland—it’s happening all over the world. An entire age cohort came of age during the pandemic, learning to party and enjoy themselves together without clubs or established nighttime institutions.

In April, CNN published a lengthy article on the transformation of Berlin’s club culture, highlighting how Generation Z is no longer interested in hyper-commercialized, exclusive international mega-clubs, but instead prefers places where they can simply be themselves and spend time with friends. Another significant point raised in the article was the sharp increase in club and nightlife prices, which has made these venues unaffordable for many young people. As a result, clubs have partly transformed into exclusive "luxury services" accessible only to those in higher socio-economic brackets. In response to this, a vibrant underground community has emerged in Berlin, organizing events outside of traditional clubs. The emptying of clubs has already led to closures, including the iconic Watergate Club last year, and the distinctive Wilde Renate Club, which plans to shut down at the end of this year as its lease expires.

The situation is even more dire in the United Kingdom, where 37% of nightclubs have closed in the past four years. If the trend continues, it is estimated there may be no nightclubs left in the UK by 2030. According to Michael Kill, CEO of the UK’s Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), nightlife is not just about entertainment—it’s about identity, community, and the economy. While reinventing the wheel and offering nightlife experiences in alternative venues as one-off events (as is also done in Helsinki) can provide a temporary boost to the city and its economy, such measures are considered mere band-aids that fail to address the root causes of a larger systemic issue.

Finland’s larger cities have not been spared either.Since the pandemic, clubs have emptied out, and many operators in Helsinki have found themselves in financial distress. With rental costs rising in line with the market and customer numbers falling, we’re faced with a challenging equation that cannot be solved with cosmetic solutions alone. For example, prices at clubs and bars in Helsinki's city center have risen so high that they are now primarily affordable only for older, economically stable consumers. This kind of geographic and socio-economic segregation of services can also be seen as discriminatory. However, this is not the fault of the service providers. Businesses offering nighttime cultural services are understandably compelled to target their offerings toward paying customers in order to afford astronomical rents and pay staff salaries. The problem is not that services are also being offered to older people—it’s that they are the only ones for whom these services are financially viable. This is not a sustainable model and may, in the long run, make the situation even worse both economically and culturally.

So what can be done?

Solving these problems isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible. Here are a few guiding thoughts:

1. Nighttime economy and culture must be recognized as both an economically and culturally significant source of vitality in cities. Its impact is largely indirect, affecting other sectors such as hospitality, tourism, restaurants, transportation, and public safety.

2. Cultural actors must be given opportunities to rent spaces at reasonable prices, and new private operators should be better supported.

3. Grants from municipalities, cities, and the state should be distributed more fairly to small new operators as well—not only to large-scale projects like major festivals, high culture or sporting events.

4. The generational shift in nightlife should be supported, and offerings diversified in a sustainable way that ensures continuity and aims to revitalize nighttime communities. This means consistent programming, shifting attention away from short-term, profit-driven "one-off" summer events, and instead building a comprehensive strategic program for the entire city’s night community—including during the difficult winter months in northern latitudes.

5. Cities must develop a true nighttime vision and strategy, grounded in listening to the field, research and data collection, and long-term co-development.

In conclusion:

A vibrant, profitable, and sustainable urban night culture is built from the grassroots up. It’s not built in boardrooms of stock-listed companies. Nightlife is undergoing a profound transformation, and it is essential that we listen to younger generations who are building the culture of the future—and who, in 30 years, will make way for new ideas themselves. This change requires us, the older generations, to set aside our own ideas and ensure that young people get the chance to leave their own mark on urban culture. I spent my youth raving like a madman in smoky rooms, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what the future should look like. Young people are creating a culture of their own, and we must support that. That’s one of the transitions our association wants to assist in.

Jyrki Nummisto

Executive Director

Nightshift Finland ry