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‘London nightlife is dead’ has become a fairly regular remark of the last five or so years. Gen-Z aren’t drinking anymore, pubs shut before the clock strikes midnight, hundreds of favourite local spots have disappeared and pints now cost as much as £8. But London’s most committed night owls know that, as long as you know where to look, the going out scene in the capital is still very much alive and kicking. While late night venues have inarguably suffered over the past few years, there are dozens of pubs, bars and clubs across the city that are still flourishing after dark.
As part of Time Out’s annual best cities survey, we grilled city-dwellers across the nation on how they rate the variety, energy and overall quality of their hometown’s nightlife. In our 2025 ranking of the UK’s top cities for a night out, London’s going out scene got a 75 percent satisfaction score from locals, making it the third best nightlife city in the UK (after Brighton and Liverpool).
Time Out London editor Joe Mackertich said: ‘London’s nightlife scene has seen some serious investment in the last year or so, meaning now is exactly the right time to come if you want fun. Hoxton’s flat-roof-pub-turned-serious-club Lion and Lamb, the way-better-than-it-should-be Here at Outernet, Hackney Wick’s thriving Colour Factory, the grassroots-tastic Cause and the already legendary Fold in Canning Town.’
‘Plus there’s a host of new hype-y queer bars, including La Camionera, The Wing and a Prayer and The Divine (from the folks behind legendary nightspot The Glory).’
More of our favourite spots for a good time include Hackney’s Equal Parts, which currently sits at number one on our best bars list, MOT in Bermondsey, which is our top club in the city right now, and The Lexington, where you’ll find our best night time event in the city for 2025, Pop Never Dies. And if standard clubs aren’t sweaty enough for you, read how sauna culture is heating up London’s nightlife. Your options are practically endless.
London nightlife flops when it comes to cost, though. Only 15.85 percent of our respondents agreed that going on a night out in the city is affordable. No surprise there – Time Out recently did a deep dive into the cost of a night out in London now vs 30 years ago and found that we’re paying at least £20 more than what Londoners were paying in the ’90s. You can see our full breakdown here.
We’ve also got thorough guides to how to have an almost free night out in London, everywhere in the city centre where you can get a pint for £6 or less and all the central London pubs open past 1am. You’re welcome.
See our full ranking of the top 10 UK cities for nightlife here and why Brighton deserves the number one spot.
Read Time Out’s full global list of the world’s best cities for nightlife in 2025.
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