Are day raves the saviour of the night time economy - including Day Fever, Soul on Saturday, Bamboo The Overs and SWG3

As more and more night time venues are opening their doors for so-called daytime raves, Rosalind Erskine asks if these events are the future of our night time industry.

What does clubbing mean to you? For many over 30, it was weekday nights with cheap drinks - often £1 or cheaper - sticky carpets and hilarious chat with strangers in the toilet. It was the backbone of being a student and a right of passage for many. But now, clubbing may end up being a thing of the past.

Recent data from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) suggests that one club is closing every two days, thanks in part to young people choosing not to drink, the cost of living crisis and ongoing economic pressures for businesses. The NITA explained this further saying: “The closure of nightclubs transcends mere economic repercussions; it represents a cultural crisis endangering the vibrancy and diversity of our nightlife. Nightclubs serve as vital hubs of social interaction, artistic expression, and community cohesion, making their preservation imperative. The NTIA demands that the government takes immediate action to provide financial relief to struggling nightclubs. Central to this relief is the imperative for the government to reduce VAT to 12.5 per cent across the board, failing which further closures across the sector are inevitable.”

While we wait for financial relief, the saviour of our night time industries may be those of us who remember the sticky floors, £1 vodka cokes and eighties, nineties and noughties dance music. The rise of the day time rave, which tends to be a retro-music-fest that ends in time for the last train, is becoming stratospheric, with multiple events taking place across the country this year. One of the biggest is Day Fever, the brainchild of actor Vicky McClure and her filmmaker husband Jonny Owen. Their Glasgow event, which was held in BAaD in the Barras in mid-April, made headlines as McClure’s co-star, Martin Compston, attended, crowd surfed among the 800 strong crowd and called it ‘one of the best days out that he's had in years'.

Platform in Glasgow is one of the venues offering day time events.

McClure and Owen spoke to The Scotsman’s Scran podcast ahead of the Glasgow and Edinburgh events - Edinburgh is set to be the biggest crowd yet - and, when asked if these day time events were a potential saviour for the industry, said that venues are becoming more and more open to early events. Owen said: “Demand has been massive, and I think people want to attend once a month.” Good news for those that missed out on the Glasgow event as it’s set to return.

McClure spoke about the closure of clubs, including famous Nottingham club The Palais. She said: “I remember my Nana, who passed away in the late 90s, talked about meeting my Granddad there. It's a real shame. It's not the nightclub it used to be. It's no longer a nightclub now it's come to a close, but it's really sad. Because what's the alternative, that was the most prolific nightclub we had in Nottingham.” One club that Owen would ‘protest in the street if it ever closed’ is Merthyr Tydfil’s Koolers. He explained its history and importance: “The building itself was the Kirkhouse, which was a nightclub. My grandfather used to go there. My father went there and I went there, and now my daughter goes to Koolers, so the people of my hometown have gone there for over a century. That's so important. I’d protest in the street if that ever got shut down because it's a massive part of everybody's upbringing in the town.”

As well as the return of Day Fever to Glasgow, and the inaugural Edinburgh event on 26 May, day clubbers across the country have lots to look forward to. Glasgow’s SWG3 is set to host a new series of daytime summer sessions in their outdoors yard across May and June. From all-day terrace parties with DJs and acts from across the electronic spectrum performing on the venue’s Acid Bar Terrace, to a beloved outdoor market popping up, a renowned urban art festival and a brand new festival of musical discovery all set to transform the outdoor space. Arts and Business Director of SWG3, Meryl Gilbert, spoke about these daytime events, saying: “We still have a really strong programme till 3am which is our licence, but there's a generational thing of people getting a little bit older, that were into their clubbing and want to get home at a decent time and have let the babysitter go and be ok for the kids in the morning.”

Other events include: Platform in Glasgow’s monthly 'Soul on Saturday' daytime disco, which will play four decades of soul, disco, funk, club classics. Running from 5.30pm - 11pm once a month, the event will have a soundtrack of disco and soul from DJ Paul N'Jie and DJ Marty MC ranging from the biggest hits from the 70s - 00s. Staying in Glasgow, Bamboo have launched ‘The Overs’, a night that runs from 7-10pm and is designed to appeal to those 25 and older. In Kirkcaldy in Fife a daytime clubbing event, Decadence Day Dance, will be held at Your Society on May 18. This comes after similar daytime events in Perth, Dundee and Stirling.

The Night Time Industries Scotland said: "In this fusion of convenience and festival fervour, day parties have emerged as one vibrant solution to modern entertainment demands."

While these day events are billed as fun before the last bus or train, the NTIA Scotland highlights the concerns of the late night economy. A spokesperson said: "The burgeoning trend of day parties reflects a dynamic shift in the Scottish market, evolving to meet the challenges of urban lifestyles and environmental constraints. Beyond mere revelry, it's a response to limited late-night transport options and a desire to replicate the festival vibe. Whilst this expansion extends business hours and positively enhances inclusivity by accommodating multiple sessions, there is a genuine concern about the potential impact on the late night economy which faces the most severe challenges in the wider hospitality sector. Further erosion of the unique offering that late night venues bring to our towns and cities is unsustainable and damaging to the cultural wellbeing of our communities. It is however a testament to the adaptability of late night operators that many are now offering consumers diverse experiences spanning day and night whilst revitalising city social scenes. In this fusion of convenience and festival fervour, day parties have emerged as one vibrant solution to modern entertainment demands."

With this in mind, there’s no better time to dust off the low rise jeans and nice top, and get ready dance the day away. Your local club may just be relying on it.

To hear more on this subject, search Scran wherever you get your podcasts.