Sadiq Khan launches London's first-ever "Nightlife Taskforce"

Sadiq Khan has unveiled London's first-ever "Nightlife Taskforce" to address challenges facing nightlife in the capital.

Announced on February 4 during a press conference at Farringdon's fabric, the move will see a range of experts across the industry meet regularly across the next six months to determine recommendations for the future of London nightlife.

The Nightlife Taskforce was pledged in the Mayor of London's campaign manifesto ahead of his reelection in May, alongside commitments to create "Night Time Strategies" and a "new London Nightlife Fund."

During the launch at fabric, Khan insisted that while club closures are a "countrywide issue," and London is not the worst-hit, figures from the NTIA suggesting that 19.7% of venues in the capital have closed since the COVID-19 are "troubling" and represent a need for action.

"I'm going to try and stop that decline, and reverse it," the Mayor of London told Mixmag. "The Taskforce's life is six months, but if they have recommendations before then that we can action then we'll do so. We want to make London not only a good place to work in and to rest in, but also to play in."

Several representatives from some of London's most famed nightlife venues and parties have been invited to take part in the new taskforce, including Pxssy Palace founder Nadine Noor, Colour Factory founder Nathaneal Williams, Corsica Studios' former Art Director and Head of Operations Alice Hoffmann-Fuller and Daytimers founder Provhat Rahman — while fabric co-founder and Director Cameron Leslie will act as the Taskforce's chair.

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NTIA CEO Michael Kill, UK Hospitality CEO Kate Nicholls and External Affairs Manager for the Music Venue Trust Sophie Brownlee will also be lending their expertise.

The group will be expected to provide insight on how the Mayor of London can work to protect venues from closure via the Community Spaces at Risk office, help to develop Borough-specific Night Time Strategies, offer perspectives on extending Night Tube and Overground provisions, and more.

The group will also have access to an advisory group, with representatives from the Metropolitan Police, councillors, and Transport For London (TFL), as well as nightlife consultancy the Vibe Lab in order to advise their recommendations.

The Mayor enlisted the help of Leslie to pull together a "representative" range of figures from across London nightlife in order to ensure "underrepresented groups that may not have had the right access in the past can have their say."

"I wanted the taskforce to not only include figures from nightlife bodies, but also those who operate parties and nightclubs outside of Zone 1," he tells Mixmag. "The ecosystem is really diverse and the taskforce represents that."

The Mayor insisted that the Taskforce is "not a replacement for the Night Czar," a position that has been vacant since Amy Lamé left her post in October last year — instead commenting that the Taskforce's recommendations could help shape nightlife policy going forward: "It could be that [the taskforce] recommends a new Night Czar," he told reporters at the event.

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Commenting on the Nightlife Taskforce's possible impact on his other manifesto pledge, a London Nightlife Fund, Khan told Mixmag: "The thing that I don't want to do, sitting in City Hall of a certain age and a certain background, is decide where the money goes.

"I'd rather listen to experts who can tell me how this money can be best spent. Money can be tight, and I'd rather get maximum bang for my buck," he continued. "If this group recommends that a pound spent in one place will have more impact than somewhere else, I'd be stupid not to follow their advice."

"So, yes we are keen to support where we can. We have already supported nightlife financially in establishing enterprise zones and the business friendly licensing strategy, and then the Night Tube and so on. But the idea is to listen to the experts, look at how we can spend our money wisely and take their lead."

Nightlife Taskforce chair Cameron Leslie shared his optimism for the new scheme, insisting that the "group that has come together represents some of the best of what London has to offer."

"We are all excited about the future of nightlife in our wonderful city, and are also acutely aware of the stark challenges we face. The Taskforce cannot wave a magic wand to make things better," he continues. "But I truly believe through our experience, expertise, knowledge, relationships and desire we can put forward something meaningful by which all stakeholders and individuals who genuinely want to see London’s vibrant nighttime economy thrive and grow can then get behind.”

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter