Who killed the rave? Late-night dancing falls into global decline

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During the 35-hour event on New Year’s Eve 2025, revelers will be the last to grace the dance floor at the Watergate Club, the iconic Berlin venue that became the latest victim. club death – club death.

“Gone are the days when Berlin was flooded with clubbers,” the venue’s management said in a farewell statement.

The pressures that led to the loss of Watergate are behind the trend transforming nightlife capitals from Berlin to Barcelona and from Melbourne to New York; despite the growing popularity of dance music, clubbers end their nights earlier.

According to an analysis of events by the Financial Times website Resident Advisor, the number of club nights lasting after 3am fell in 12 out of 15 global cities between 2014 and 2024.

“People can only go out for so many hours,” says Lutz Leichsenring, co-founder of VibeLab, an international nightlife consultancy.

Leichsenring said venue owners often closed their doors earlier to save on costs because revenue from beverage sales tended to drop in the early morning hours.

More restrictive licensing rules Post-Covid-19, clubs and promoters have also become a problem in cities around the world. While cities have appointed night mayors and adopted “24-hour city” policies in recent years, increased scrutiny of the night-time economy since the pandemic has led to stricter late-night establishments. police, Leichsenring added.

Another factor is the rise in popularity of daytime events and festivals. Mike Vosters, whose company Matinee Social Club organizes early evening parties in New York, said that while the 5-10pm events were originally aimed at millennials, who no longer wanted to party in the wee hours, they got “tons of interest.” 20-something partygoers;

According to Vosters, a shift away from “bottle service” club culture and a new generational emphasis on healthy lifestyles have been two of the reasons behind the boom in dance parties that end early.

Resident Advisor data reflects an increase in daytime partying, with several major cities showing an increase in events ending at 10pm.

Melbourne claims to be the live music capital of the world and boasted a vibrant nightclub scene 20 years ago, but the sector has seen a sharp decline in the city as consumer habits have changed and the cost of hosting events has risen, particularly since the pandemic.

One entertainment industry executive says younger people are less likely to go out until 6am because they are healthier and less frivolous about money than previous generations, a reflection of Melbourne’s nightclub closures in, more than 100 of which have closed in recent years, and fewer clubs stay open all night.

In Dublin, campaigners are fighting to change restrictive licensing laws that require clubs to pay €410 a night to stay open between 12.30am and 2.30am.

Sunil Sharp, DJ and co-founder of Give Us the Night, said the stalling of the proposed law, which would have extended closing hours to 6am, had left the industry in limbo and operators nervous about investing in new venues.

He estimated that there are about 20 to 25 clubs left in the city and its suburbs, where 1.3 million people live. . or even open your doors for a private night,” he added.

But there are signs of hope for dance music. A: study The annual conference published by the International Music Summit in Ibiza found that the electronic music industry is set to grow by 17 percent in 2023, reaching $11.8 billion in annual revenue.

In 15 cities analyzed by the FT using data from Resident Advisor, venues listing more than five events in 2024 grew by 60 per cent compared to a decade ago.Since 2014, more than 35,000 artists were booked to play in those cities during the same period. compared to 90 percent more.

“People still crave community. People still want to go out,” Woosters said. “It hasn’t diminished, and music is still the best way to do that.”