Sadiq Khan launches new nightlife squad to advise on replacing Amy Lamé
Sadiq Khan has launched a new London nightlife taskforce which is expected to advise on whether the former Night Czar, Amy Lamé, should be replaced.
The Mayor of London launched the new independent nightlife committee, which will be led by fabric nightclub founder Cameron Leslie, on Tuesday.
It is aimed at supporting the capital’s nighttime economy, and will come back over the next six months with various recommendations on the future of nightlife in London.
It is understood that this will include recommending whether the mayor should appoint a new Night Czar into Lamé’s former role, which saw the BBC Radio 6 Music DJ paid a £132,846 annual salary by the end of her eight years in the post.
Lamé, who stepped down in October 2024, has launched a new venture, with her LinkedIn describing her as “founding director” of 24hr Cities, a “global consultancy” since December 2024.
Her time in office saw London’s nightlife venues suffer a spate of closures, with one report by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) finding more than a quarter (29 per cent) of the capital’s clubs shut their doors for good between June 2020 and June 2024.
Khan’s taskforce will also include: Pxssy Palace founder Nadine Noor; Colour Factory founder Nathanael Williams; and Alice Hoffmann-Fuller, consultant and former head of operations at Corsica Studios.
Industry figures Kate Nicholls, CEO of UK Hospitality, Mike Kill, CEO of the NTIA, and Sophie Brownlee, external affairs manager at Music Venue Trust, will also be members.
Khan said: “London’s nightlife industries are vital to the success of our capital, but, as with other cities across the country, they have faced a huge range of challenges in recent years.
“The rising cost of living and operational costs, shifts in consumer behaviour, staffing shortages and licensing issues have all been hitting businesses hard.”
He said the taskforce would bring their “expertise and unparalleled knowledge” to “inform and develop our collective efforts to support nightlife”.
And Leslie added: “This group represents some of the best of what London has to offer, across an incredibly broad spectrum. We are all excited about the future of nightlife in our wonderful city, and are also acutely aware of the stark challenges we face.”
While he admitted they “cannot wave a magic wand to make things better”, he vowed to “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”.
Clubs and late night venues have seen challenges from the impact of the pandemic, to rising rents and business rates, staff shortages, licensing and issues, and business pressures.
Recent NTIA figures recorded a 32.7 per cent decline in nightclubs across the country since 2020, with London on a 19.7 per cent decrease from March 2020 to November 2024.
This equates to a loss of 405 venues, with the number of nightclubs dropping from 1,240 in March 2020 to just 835 in November 2024.
London saw the lowest level of decline, with cities such as Manchester and Birmingham seeing a 33.3 and a 38.5 per cent drop.
Taskforce members will work with the Met Police, Transport for London (TfL), London Councils, trade unions, the business community and supply chain firms.
City Hall said the panel would be supported by Nightlife Research consultants Vibe Lab who will ask Londoners to provide evidence to help develop the taskforce’s recommendations.
Nicholls added: “London’s vibrant nightlife is world-renowned and, while there are undoubtedly significant challenges facing our nightlife businesses, it still has the potential to grow and build on that reputation.”