One under 30 told the BBC they preferred to live somewhere relaxed

Under-30s have described missing out on being able to "let loose and mess around" because of a "bleak" lack of nightlife where they live.

Henry Gannon said that growing up in Woking he had seen places for young people to gather and socialise "die away".

"Communal areas just seem to have vanished," he added.

Woking once had multiple late-night venues - now it does not have any traditional dedicated nightclubs left in the town centre.

Gannon blamed the situation on the cost of living crisis, which he said was "pricing out" those in their 20s from enjoying themselves.

"There isn't really anything to do for younger people who often don't have much expendable income," he said.

Alternative options, the 23-year-old added, were "Wetherspoons, sitting in the park or getting a prohibitively expensive taxi back from another town or city".

"I feel like I am missing out on a crucial part of being my age, which is being able to let loose, mess around and enjoy life.

A quarter of UK towns have lost all their nightclubs, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) said in 2025.

It added that one in six towns have no late-night venues left.

"These figures are a stark warning of the systematic erosion of Britain's nightlife infrastructure," said NTIA CEO Michael Kill.

"The damage, as we see it, is increasingly irreversible. Once these venues disappear, they rarely return."

Adam said the nightlife situation in Tonbridge - where the last club closed several years ago - was "pretty minimal".

"There are some nice pubs and small bars, though most things close around midnight," he said.

But the 29-year-old, originally from the US, said he was drawn to Kent town as it was "quieter and more relaxed".

Still, Adam said, the lack of nightlife forced younger people to go elsewhere for a night out, which impacted the local economy.

While he recognised nightclubs were spaces for meeting others, Adam said there was also a trend of younger people going out and drinking less - which was good for their health.

The BBC previously heard from under-30s that were opting out of drinking culture and getting their "social fix" from the gym.

They said that alcohol-free socialising was empowering, avoided hangovers and let them meet like-minded people.

Others have also pointed to a cultural shift with more people skipping clubs for sober social events.

Finn Ashcroft, from Chichester in West Sussex, said after Covid "people were finding it harder to get out and socialise".

However, he said it was important to emphasise that many under-30s were "making do" without clubs and instead creating their own events.

Ashcroft urged people to speak up if they wanted more nightlife where they live

While its traditional nightclubs had closed, Ashcroft said Chichester had plenty of spaces that could be used for music and dancing.

He told the BBC he had set up the event companies C-Side Sounds and Strictly Grooves to "push music locally" in these spaces.

"Students were champing at the bit for somewhere to go," he said.

"We've definitely helped nurture nightlife within the city."

The 22-year-old said the "most important thing" people looking for more nightlife where they live could do was "be vocal about it".

"They have the power to [get] local councils and governing bodies to make sure there are spaces for people... to make memories together."

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