Chaos in the CBD might be a Kiwi jazz-house duo, but ‘chaos in the central business district’ could also describe the future of London nightlife as a whole, according to a new report by creative studio Bompas and Parr. 

The recommendation comes as part of their annual report, The Future of P-Leisure 2026, which considers how the corporate and nightlife industries can effectively manage the new challenges of the post-Covid world. As office spaces struggle to return to their pre-pandemic capacity, and nighttime industries suffer a continued slump, the report advocates for “a future where financial districts in London and the world over are transformed into world-class late-night party zones”.

“Empty office lobbies become sought-after DJ booths, rooftops host industry-defining light shows, and any space that isn’t locked morphs into a dancefloor to create a sprawling web of passionate chaos as capitalism and counterculture merge,” the report continues. 

In particular, they believe this new kind of (office) block party will take advantage of the stark absence of residential properties in the City of London itself. “While over half a million people work every day in the square mile of the City of London, only 8000 people actually live there,” the report explains. “This daily mass exodus leaves immense square meterage that could house nocturnal revelry. By day, the city bustles with suits and stocks. By night, it’s reborn as a pulsating rave arena.” 

While it might seem far-fetched at first glance, Michael Kill, the CEO of the UK’s Nighttime Industrial Association (NTIA), has lent his support to the report. “What we’ve always had with the financial districts is, after a Friday night, they close down and everyone disappears,” he said. “But now we’re seeing people only work from the office for about three days a week. Friday has become an extension of the weekend. So landlords are obviously looking for new opportunities, and that is a very constructive conversation we’re having.”

This initiative could take advantage of the reduced risk of noise complaints in the city centre, but it is also worth noting that licensing restrictions are not the only reason that UK venues are closing at an unprecedented rate. Cost of living increases and the pressures of online wellness culture have led to one in four Gen Z Brits choosing to go teetotal (twice the rate of their parents’ generation), and any solution that does not address the core concerns of London’s young people will be incomplete.

Adding weight to this point is the fact that the Bompas and Parr report places specific emphasis on the over-50s age group – whom they term “the “generation that pioneered sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll”. “Older people are more likely to participate in casual, unprotected sex than the younger generations,” the report continues, quoting drug safety group The Loop that “people well into their 50s are ‘getting back on it like they used to’ at festivals.” But what about young people?

Still, it remains clear that something needs to be done. If venue closures continue at closing at the current rate, the NTIA warns, then the UK’s nightlife industry will be extinct by 2029. 

Read Bompas and Parr’s full report, which also predicts that “designer drugs for the geriatric” will make an appearance in the next few years to cater for the party-centric but health-sensitive older generations, here.