A new report by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has shown that the number of Nightclubs in the UK has decreased rapidly in 2024, with up to five UK venues closing each week.
Out of the 67 venues that shut in the first quarter of 2024, 48 have been independently run venues, a trend the organisation describes as ‘disturbing’.
What may be even more disturbing than these figures, is the erasing of progress due to these venue closures, which disproportionately impact women.
The Nightclub industry is notorious for its male-domination, over-sexualisation of women and exploitation of female staff. When women do break the barriers and end up working in the industry, they face misogyny, sexism, unequal opportunity and pay-gaps.
And while progress has been made, women are still struggling to enter the ‘Boys Club’ that is the Nightlife Industry. In the UK, just 24% of DJs are women, according to the UK Musicians Census in 2024. The same report, disappointingly, found that women are eight times more likely to face discrimination when working in the music industry than men.
Perhaps even more damning, one third of women in the music industry have been sexually harassed at work, with many reporting it as a barrier to their career, a fact that the authors found ‘alarming’.
As the Nightlife industry battles venue closures after the devastation the COVID-19 Pandemic left in its wake, the female DJs are dying with it.
Securing DJ residencies in a drowning industry is hard enough, but women face adverse challenges, with 87% of women reporting discrimination in the industry compared to 65% of men.
Even one of the UKs most popular DJs, Annie Mac, described the industry as a ‘boys club’.
So, how can we support our female DJs amongst the Nightlife crisis? Here are 5678 Magazine’s top tips.
- Embrace the power of social media: Like, tag, and repost female DJs on social media. Trust me, they’ll appreciate it.
- Support smaller artists: The lesser known ladies are the ones who really need our help right now. Don’t forget about them!
- Don’t neglect smaller music venues: Smaller venues are the biggest supporters of women in the music industry. Prevent them from closing by choosing a small gig or set over a large scale concert.
- Word of mouth: Found a DJ you like? Speak about it! Word of mouth is the best way for small artists to secure bookings.
- Streaming: Don’t forget to stream your favourite DJs through Spotify, Soundcloud, BandCamp and YouTube.
