London’s independent Nightlife Taskforce sets out comprehensive plan to drive the future of the capital at night

• London’s Nightlife Taskforce sets out 23 recommendations across 10 areas to protect, support and grow London’s vital night time industries
• Wide-ranging recommendations include introducing a London-wide licensing standard to bring clarity and consistency across the capital and tackle the ‘burden’ of outdated licensing
• Delivered by an independent, industry-led Taskforce, the report is the most up-to-date and comprehensive evidence base on London’s nightlife ever produced
• London’s night-time economy contributes over £139 billion to the capital each year and supports more than a million night-time workers

 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today welcomed the publication of a landmark report by London’s independent Nightlife Taskforce that sets out its bold plan to drive the future of the capital at night.

 

The report, by the independent industry-led Nightlife Taskforce, is the most comprehensive evidence-based assessment of London’s nightlife ever produced. It sets out the scale and importance of the capital’s nightlife and the challenges it faces, outlining 23 recommendations across 10 areas to protect, support and grow London’s vital nightlife industries.

 

This includes the introduction of a new, London-wide licensing standard to modernise licensing and planning processes, making applications simpler and decisions more consistent. The Taskforce highlights that licensing and planning frameworks have become outdated and ‘a burden’ for businesses and need updating to recognise the economic, cultural and social value of nightlife through a clear, single standard.

 

This year, the Mayor is set to receive new licensing powers from the Government that will allow him to ‘call in’ powers to decide licensing applications of strategic importance, such as for key nightlife venues and supporting more al fresco dining.

 

The Taskforce’s report highlights the challenges that nightlife has faced around the world in recent years and sets out a clear, practical roadmap for the future through its series of recommendations.

 

Featuring new research, data analysis and the voices of nearly 3,000 Londoners, the report highlights that the night-time economy contributes over £139 billion to the capital each year, supports more than a million night-time workers, and plays a critical role in tourism and supporting local economies. It shows how nightlife has evolved to include a diverse range of cultural, social and community activity taking place across the capital between 6pm and 6am, and how it helps Londoners feel connected to their communities.

 

The Taskforce also recommends the creation of a new, independent Nightlife Commission to be a unified voice for the industry and champion the delivery of the recommendations. The Mayor has today announced that he will be providing a grant of £300,000, from UK Shared Prosperity Funding, to help establish this new industry-led Commission as a self-funded organisation. The Commission, which will be launched later this year, will bring together a diverse range of industry expertise - representing the voices of nightlife workers and businesses - to work in close partnership with City Hall, councils and the police to support the development of nightlife across London.

 

Other key recommendations from the Nightlife Taskforce report include:

 

• Recognise nightlife as culture – acknowledge the cultural, social and heritage value of nightlife, and widen its access to national cultural support programmes.
• Support nightlife small businesses – call for nightlife business rates relief and support measures, including reduced VAT rate.
• Create a Nightlife Future Fund – support innovative nightlife projects, particularly those led by underrepresented communities.
• Strengthen access to space for nightlife – create a simplified process to allow temporary nightlife venues and a central database of vacant properties across the capital with potential to host nightlife.
• Plan for a truly 24-hour city – improve infrastructure for nightlife spaces, widen use of the high street after 6pm and  ensure all policies better support activity at night and those working.
• Align night-time transport with changing demand – enhance night-time transport to better reflect nightlife, including re-establishing the Late Night Transport Working Group.
• Rethink approaches to night-time sound – use noise monitoring technology to help make decisions relating to complaints about noise, strengthen Agent of Change protections for venues, and advocate for legislative reform to require a minimum of 10 unrelated noise complaints before Environmental health investigate.
• Create safer nights through partnership and harm reduction – independently review the impact of policing and licensing practices, ensure police resources are proportionately allocated across nightlife areas taking into account crime patterns and footfall, and adapt an early intervention and supportive public health approach.

 

The Nightlife Taskforce was set up by the Mayor in February 2025 to address and examine the issues facing the capital’s nightlife sector. As with other cities across the country and world, London’s nightlife has contended with a huge range of challenges in recent years with the rising cost-of-living and operational costs, shifts in consumer behaviour, staffing shortages and licensing issues hitting businesses hard. 

 

The Mayor is determined to do all he can to support the capital’s nightlife and looks forward to working with partners to help London thrive after dark.

 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “London’s independent Nightlife Taskforce has put together the most detailed picture we’ve ever had of the challenges and opportunities facing our capital at night. Our night time economy supports more than a million jobs, contributes more than £139bn to our economy and brings communities together, but action is needed to ensure that it can be a thriving part of life in our city for many years to come. The taskforce’s recommendations set out a bold future for our life at night and I’m committed to working with partners to do all I can to support this. This includes receiving new licensing powers from the Government soon that will help us to unlock the potential of our capital’s nightlife, as we build a better London for everyone.”

 

Cameron Leslie, Co-founder and Director, fabric, and Chair of the Nightlife Taskforce said: “Nightlife is not a problem to be managed - it’s a vital part of how London expresses itself. This report sets out a clear vision for a city that works after dark: safer, more inclusive, better connected and more sustainable, while protecting the creativity that makes London globally unique. London’s nightlife matters to our economy, our culture and our communities - and this work shows how we can support it for the long term.”

 

Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, Justine Simons OBE, said: “London’s nightlife is where culture is made, communities are formed and new ideas take root. The Nightlife Taskforce’s report recognises that nightlife is culture and that it needs long-term support and change to help it thrive. By working together we can better support grassroots venues, artists, workers and communities, and ensure that London remains one of the world’s greatest cities after dark.”

  

Alice Hoffmann-Fuller, Taskforce member and Nightlife Community Support Consultant, said: “It has been a privilege to contribute to this groundbreaking research and help shape meaningful plans for the growth of London’s unique nightlife culture. Seeing such diverse communities unite to support one another and develop strategies for a thriving sector fills me with hope and optimism. I'm so proud of our inclusive and cultured city and its engaged, active nightlife providers and communities. Thank you for your vital contribution to this report! This spirit of collaboration is the key to overcoming recent challenges. Our next, most important step is to turn these insights into action - implementing solutions that deliver positive change through our collective strength.”

 

Kate Nicholls, Taskforce member and Chair of UKHospitality, said: "London's nightlife is recognised as one of the best in the world and is a huge draw for visitors, both from within the UK and abroad. These recommendations can help bolster and grow our nighttime economy and we're particularly keen to see a London-wide licensing standard introduced to bring much-needed consistency across the capital. We're encouraged to see the Mayor provide funding to help establish a dedicated Nightlife Commission to champion these recommendations, and we look forward to working closely with the Mayor and his team on this important work."

 

Sam Spencer, Taskforce member and Director of Live Operations for Broadwick Live , said: “London’s nightlife is one of the city’s greatest cultural, civic and economic assets, but it’s operating under systems that no longer reflect how the city actually works at night. I’ve spent my life in these spaces, both working in them and being shaped by them, from youth centres and grassroots venues to large-scale cultural spaces, and when policy doesn’t keep up, it’s workers, venues and communities who carry the consequences. What this Taskforce has done is move beyond celebrating nightlife and start setting a plan on how we can support it properly setting out practical, evidence-led reforms across licensing, planning, policing, health and transport. It’s independent, industry-led and rooted in lived experience of London's nightlife. These recommendations provide a clear, credible route to support nightlife properly for the long term.”

 

Nathaneal Williams, Taskforce member and Founder of Colour Factory, said: “This report should be taken seriously. It brings together a diverse group of voices from across London’s nightlife and cultural industries, reflecting the breadth of experiences that shape the city and the lives of Londoners from all walks of life. That diversity is its strength. The work marks the beginning of a new era in how nightlife is understood as culture, and it invites a reimagining of how the city approaches, supports, and values nightlife going forward.”