London Task Force Recommends A Nightlife Mayor to Save Music Venues

With the the recent closure of one of London‘s most storied nightclubs, Plastic People, and several other legendary venues closing in the past decade, London may appoint a Nightlife Mayor in an effort to save nightlife in the city. The Music Venue Taskforce, put in place by London’s Mayor, offers several suggestions, including the Night Mayor, about how to reinvigorate the flailing nightlife industry. Gentrification and a trend leaning towards festivals, as opposed to nightclubs, have often been cited as reasons for the shuttering of some of the city’s most important clubs.

In response, the Music Venue Taskforce has issued London’s Grassroots Music Venues Rescue Plan, a detailed proposal to protect “grassroots venues.” One such way that the proposal suggests the Mayor do this is through the appointment of a “Night Mayor,” who will serve as a liaison between authorities and event organizers in hopes of decreasing “nuisance” and “crime.” The report details just how important the nightlife industry is to London’s economy and suggests that authorities simplify their relationship with venues. Check out the full proposal here.