Overview

• A TikTok posted on September 19 shows empty queues and shuttered or near-empty venues on a Friday night in Reading’s town centre.
• Local changes cited include Walkabout set to close on October 1 and the former Bed Bar already shut, with other bars described as unusually quiet.
• Viewers responding to the video pointed to affordability pressures, saying a typical night out now costs far more than many can spare.
• Reports referenced nearly 380 nightclub closures across the UK over the past five years, including a third lost since 2020.
• Coverage notes the downturn followed pandemic disruptions and operator failures such as Rekom UK’s collapse in February last year.