A new report by creative studio Bompas & Parr has proposed turning deserted office blocks, especially in London’s financial hubs like Canary Wharf and the City, into vibrant late night party destinations during evenings and weekends.
Post COVID shifts to hybrid working have left central districts underused. Over half a million people commute into the City daily, but only around 8,000 residents live there. With office footfall dipping, especially as many now only work three core days a week, lobbies, rooftops and atriums sit idle and are seen as ideal spaces for conversion into DJ booths, dancefloors and immersive light shows.
Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, supports the idea. He points out that financial districts, with minimal residential presence, offer a rare opportunity to expand nightlife without noise complaints. With office attendance looking unlikely to increase, landlords are looking for new ways to repurpose their properties. Local authorities have started discussing more flexible planning and licensing rules to encourage night time use in these areas.
The report also highlights the sharp decline in the UK’s nightlife sector. More than a third of nightclubs have closed since 2020, and some warn the industry could disappear entirely by 2029 if the trend continues. To help revive it, Bompas & Parr recommend engaging the growing over 60 demographic, reconnecting with the generation that once helped shape rave culture. They even suggest creating nightlife spaces tailored to this audience.
Finally, the report argues that nightlife should be treated as cultural infrastructure, similar to theatres or galleries. This could help unlock funding and planning support. It draws comparisons to how Manchester’s vibrant night time culture helped transform the city centre in the 1980s and 1990s.
Read the full report here.
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