Sadiq Khan’s London night czar Amy Lamé to step down after eight years

nme.com:

following her claim that London has a “24-hour culture”. Londoners took to Twitter/X to dispute this, citing a lack of 24-hour transport options and the continued loss of venues in the capital evidence the comments were inaccurate.In February, it was revealed that 31 per cent of UK nightclubs closed last year as the industry demanded government action.

Meanwhile, 2023 was “worst year for venue closures” while “no one in music industry seems to care”, according to Music Venue Trust.Grassroots music venues in the capital like North London’s Nambucca are among those that have fallen victim to financial issues resulting in closure.Lamé responded by saying she could “point to the successes” of her role – after being tasked with “ensuring London thrives as a 24-hour city” in 2016 – including saving Fabric nightclub, opening Drumsheds in a former Ikea in Tottenham and funding grassroots live music venues.Lamé’s stint as night czar coincided with the pandemic – a period when the cities’ nightlife industry was plunged into uncertainty.

At the time, Lamé called on the government to provide more clarity for venues subject to closures, highlighting their crucial role in Britain’s culture, saying: “Over the weekend I was watching Glastonbury from years past and it was mind-blowing.

Amy Winehouse on the Pyramid Stage when she was 23.”“There’s a gal who was pulling pints and doing backroom gigs at the Dublin Castle.