The people who make our night time economy, hospitality and drinks sectors thrive are also the people who often face some of the toughest challenges behind the scenes. That’s why we’re proud to be supporting Walk It Together 2026 alongside Ask For Clive and The Drinks Trust. This September, hospitality professionals, operators, suppliers, venues and supporters will come together to walk 14 miles of purpose, raising vital funds for The Drinks Trust and the incredible work they do supporting people across our sector. 📍 Manchester – 25th September 2026 Whether you work in hospitality, nightlife, events, drinks, entertainment or simply want to support an industry that brings people together every day, we’d love you to join us. Our sectors are built on community, connection and looking after one another. This is an opportunity to do exactly that. 💛 Walk with colleagues 💛 Raise funds for an important cause 💛 Show your support for the people behind our industry 💛 Be part of something bigger Spaces are limited, so don’t leave it too long. 🔗 buff.ly/PLQnbfO #WalkItTogether #DrinksTrust #NTIA #AskForClive #Hospitality #NightTimeEconomy #Nightlife #Community #Wellbeing #Fundraising #TogetherWeCan

What will the Government’s Budget mean for hospitality and the night time economy? Join the NTIA and Institute of Hospitality for a special webinar the day after the Budget, bringing together industry leaders to discuss the impact on taxation, operating costs, employment, investment and business confidence. Hosted by Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA, alongside a panel of hospitality experts. Drop ijn and Join us tomorrow for a full overview on the Chancellors first budget! Register here: buff.ly/Pcq0alj

“The Price of a Night Out Has Reached Its Limit”: NTIA Issues Budget Warning as Consumer Spending Rises 34% The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has warned the Chancellor that consumers have reached an affordability ceiling, as new CGA by NIQ research reveals spending on nights out has risen 34% since 2020.** Average spending per head in pubs, bars and restaurants has increased from £20.95 in 2020 to £28.06 in 2026. However, growth has slowed sharply to just 2.1% over the past year, while London spending has effectively plateaued. The NTIA warns that rising expenditure does not signal greater prosperity but reflects escalating operating costs, including employment, energy, taxation and business rates, increasingly passed on to consumers. Michael Kill, CEO of NTIA, said: “This Budget comes at a defining moment for British nightlife. Businesses cannot afford to absorb further costs, while customers cannot afford to keep paying more. “The consumer cannot be the industry's financial shock absorber indefinitely. “Consumers have reached their ceiling. Operators have reached theirs. The Chancellor must recognise that the sector has nowhere left to pass the pressure.” The NTIA is urging meaningful action on business rates, employment costs and taxation to prevent further venue closures and protect the accessibility of nightlife. Without intervention, the association warns that rising costs threaten businesses, jobs, cultural spaces and the vitality of towns and cities nationwide. **The message is clear: nightlife cannot remain sustainable if consumers and operators are pushed beyond their financial limits.**

The Budget will be central to today’s work, with time set aside for media and our release. I’ll keep the realities facing nightlife businesses and their teams at the heart of how we communicate. First, I’ll speak with Freek Wallagh about the Global Nightlife Movement, with Michael Rodrigues potentially joining us. Looking across borders will help put our own experience into a wider conversation about the night. As the morning moves into Budget media work, I’ll also catch up separately with Graeme Park. Then I’ll speak with Satia Rai for our IPSA catch up. The people working in security are part of the fabric of our venues, and maintaining that connection will remain important to the wider NTIA picture. Early in the afternoon, I’ll join our monthly NTIA catch up with HMRC. On a day centred on the Budget, that regular relationship will sit alongside the public conversation about the pressures and practicalities of running a business. Later, I’ll meet Councillor Daniel Dream from Lewisham. I’ll bring the perspective of nightlife into that local conversation, where the experience of venues, communities and culture needs to be heard. I’m also hoping to catch up with Social Scene later in the afternoon. The day will close with Deborah and Jono from bar.made. I’ll take the same approach into that final conversation: listening closely to the people behind the businesses as we look ahead.

Morning from NTIA. Budget day puts the cost of doing business firmly in focus. Chancellor John Healey speaks at 12.30 pm, with energy bills, tax and wages all in the spotlight. The Treasury has announced plans to remove gas standing charges for around 23 million homes by moving fixed costs into unit rates. It has not announced equivalent relief for venues. Reports of higher alcohol duty and minimum wages are still predictions ahead of the speech. The Liberal Democrats have called for lower VAT on hospitality, but that is an opposition proposal. For pubs, clubs and live music spaces, the crucial detail will be what the Budget actually does for operating costs, jobs and customers’ spending power. Beyond Westminster, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy has urged the UK to accelerate defence spending. In Israel, exit polls point to no clear election winner, with coalition talks likely. Conflict in the Middle East remains a concern for energy prices. We will look closely at the published Budget and independent forecasts before judging the impact on our sector.

When someone speaks up about abuse, how we respond matters. The NTIA supports the Government’s Respond campaign and its message to Listen. Believe. Support. By raising awareness, challenging harmful behaviours and helping create safer, more supportive environments, we all have a role to play in tackling violence against women and girls. Find guidance and support through the ENOUGH campaign via the link in our bio.

As the clocks go back this Sunday, millions of night workers will face an extra hour on shift, keeping our night-time economy moving. NTIA supports Uber’s Night Shift Tab campaign, offering night workers in London and Manchester up to £10 off a ride home or an Uber Eats order. Enter NIGHTSHIFT for up to £10 off an Uber ride or NIGHTSHIFTEATS for up to £10 off Uber Eats, valid 00:01 to 08:00 on Sunday 25 October. Terms and conditions apply. It’s a welcome way to recognise the people who make our nights possible. Read more: buff.ly/LDU9xeU

A safer night depends on people who notice risks, respond and share what they learn. Three initiatives show how public health can work alongside music and hospitality. In New South Wales, Australia, a drug checking service returned to selected festivals in October 2026. Attendees can voluntarily submit samples for analysis by forensic chemists, then discuss results with trained peer workers. The state plans to serve up to 15 festivals annually. At Sydney’s Knockout Outdoor on 3 October, the service detected unusually strong MDMA tablets. NSW Health issued a public warning on 9 October, turning information gathered inside one event into advice for a wider community. New York City’s Narcan Behind Every Bar programme equips another part of the night. Its Office of Nightlife offers free overdose response training for venue teams and can supply naloxone kits. Owners, DJs, promoters, bartenders and security staff are invited. The initiative recognises that preparation extends beyond the medical tent. Across Aotearoa New Zealand, KnowYourStuffNZ provides confidential checking and conversations at events and clinics. Its August 2026 report recorded 4,119 samples checked at 189 events during the season. When a substance differed from expectations, 44 per cent of clients said they would not take it. None of these services can guarantee safety. Their value lies in trusted contact, useful information and the ability to act before harm escalates. Nightlife policy is strongest when it treats audiences and workers as partners in care, and turns what happens after dark into learning that travels beyond the venue.

Great catching up with Rufy Ghazi at ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event)! 🎧🔥🇳🇱 Dropped in for an insightful conversation about this year’s Electronic Music Report, the evolving global electronic music landscape, and the opportunities ahead! 🌍🎶 So much happening across the industry, with lots of exciting developments already building for 2027! 🚀✨ Always inspiring to connect, exchange ideas and look at how we can continue pushing music, culture and the industry forward. 2027 is shaping up to be exciting… watch this space! 👀🔥 #ADE2026 #AmsterdamDanceEvent #RufyGhazi #ElectronicMusic #ElectronicMusicReport

Look who I bumped into at ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event)! 🔥🙌🏾 None other than the legendary Ras Kwame, one of Capital XTRA’s finest! 🎧🎶🇯🇲 Out here representing the Reggae and Dancehall movement on the international stage! ❤️💛💚🇳🇱 Always great to connect with people who continue to champion the culture and push our music forward. Nothing but love and respect for this legend! 👑🔥 Reggae and Dancehall to di world! 🌍🔊💯 #ADE2026 #AmsterdamDanceEvent #RasKwame #CapitalXTRA

Looking forward to today's panel discussion at Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) 2026! I've affectionately dubbed this one the “Sex, Drugs & Rock ’n’ Roll” panel, although perhaps with a little more focus on the dancefloor! We'll be getting into the gritty realities of nightlife, exploring the evolving relationship between drugs, sobriety, hedonism, harm reduction, safety and the changing culture of clubbing. These are important conversations to have, particularly as we navigate a new era of nightlife, where attitudes, behaviours and expectations are shifting, and the industry has a responsibility to evolve alongside them. Panel: Ethics of the Dance: Drugs, Movement & the Shifting Hedonism Space 📅 Friday 23rd October 2026 ⏰ 16:00–17:00 📍 Felix Meritis, Amsterdam Looking forward to some open, honest and perhaps provocative discussion. After all, nightlife has never been just about the music — it's about people, culture, freedom, expression and the spaces we create. See you on the dancefloor… or at least in the discussion room! #ADE2026 #AmsterdamDanceEvent #NTIA #NightTimeEconomy #Nightlife #ClubCulture #MusicIndustry

I’ll be in Amsterdam for ADE today, with the morning’s conversations taking me from IPSA’s next chapter to preparations for next year’s NTIA summit. First, I’ll catch up with Satia Rai on the IPSA board update. We’ll then turn to social media and marketing support for the Members’ Meeting planned for St Paul’s Cathedral. The background to that work will be IPSA’s future direction, new board members and the development of workstreams supporting frontline security. For our venues, the people working on the frontline need a strong voice in those discussions. Later in the morning, I’ll join Connor and the NTIA marketing team for our weekly catch up. A separate conversation with Rob from Mustard will focus on Summit 2027. Around midday, I’ll join Connor for our weekly meeting with the National Promoters Society, hoping to catch up with Luke Richards too. Grassroots promoters need to be part of the conversation about the future of nightlife, alongside the venues and artists they help bring together. In the afternoon, I’ll speak with Sara from OnSiren and Shahzad Ali. Then I’ll take part in ADE’s Ethics of the Dance: Drugs, Movement & the Shifting Hedonism Space panel at Felix Meritis. I’ll bring a UK nightlife perspective to that discussion, with the people behind our venues and culture firmly in mind. That’ll be the focus as I step into the afternoon’s ADE programme.

Nightlife Businesses Won't Survive on Less Paperwork Alone, Warns NTIA NTIA welcomes Government reforms but warns the Chancellor that cutting red tape is no substitute for meaningful financial relief in the forthcoming Budget. The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has welcomed Government measures to reduce bureaucracy and extend existing import tariff suspensions, expected to deliver almost £800 million in annual savings for British businesses. The measures include extending tariff suspensions on more than 250 products until December 2028, protecting up to £155 million in annual savings, alongside regulatory reforms expected to save businesses over £600 million a year. While recognising these positive steps, the NTIA warns that reducing paperwork will not address the escalating costs threatening the survival of thousands of independent pubs, bars, nightclubs and live music venues. With small businesses representing around 70% of the night time economy, the Association is calling on the Chancellor to use the forthcoming Budget to deliver urgent relief on business rates, taxation and employment costs. Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, said: “We welcome the Government's commitment to cutting red tape and protecting existing tariff relief. Any measure that reduces unnecessary costs is a step in the right direction. “But let's be clear: nightlife businesses won't survive on less paperwork alone. “Our sector isn't struggling because of administration. It's struggling under the crushing weight of business rates, rising employment costs, taxation and relentless operating pressures. “Small businesses make up around 70% of our night time economy. They are the heartbeat of our high streets, communities and cultural life, yet many are fighting simply to keep their doors open. “Cutting bureaucracy is welcome, but it doesn't pay the wages, reduce business rates or keep the lights on. “The Chancellor now has an opportunity to turn positive intent into meaningful action. The forthcoming Budget must deliver real financial relief where businesses need it most. “We don't just need Government to make it easier to run a business. We need Government to make it financially viable to run one. “Ultimately, success won't be measured by how much paperwork is removed, but by how many businesses survive, jobs are protected and communities continue to thrive.”

What will the Government’s Budget mean for hospitality and the night time economy? Join the NTIA and Institute of Hospitality for a special webinar the day after the Budget, bringing together industry leaders to discuss the impact on taxation, operating costs, employment, investment and business confidence. Hosted by Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA, alongside a panel of hospitality experts.

🚨 LAST CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR SAY – HELP SAVE BBE STORE! 🚨 🎶 HACKNEY'S MUSIC & CULTURAL GEM NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT! ⏰ Time is running out to make your voice heard and influence the future of BBE Store! BBE Store is more than just a record shop. It's a Black-owned, independent cultural hub at the heart of Hackney – bringing music, creativity, culture and community together. Now, this important venue faces an uncertain future following a premises licence review. This is your LAST CHANCE to speak up and help shape the outcome! We believe cultural spaces deserve to be protected, valued and treated fairly, while recognising residents' concerns. ✊ TAKE ACTION NOW – IT TAKES LESS THAN 2 MINUTES! 📝 Read our letter to Hackney's Licensing Sub-Committee. ✍️ Add your details to support the submission. ✅ Hit submit and make your voice count! ❤️ EVERY VOICE MATTERS. EVERY SUBMISSION COUNTS. Let's send a powerful message that Hackney's independent cultural spaces matter and deserve a future. 👉 HAVE YOUR SAY BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE: 🔗 buff.ly/am1Vk0H 🎵 SAVE BBE STORE. PROTECT CULTURE. KEEP HACKNEY CREATIVE. 📢 PLEASE SHARE FAR AND WIDE! Together, we can make our collective voice impossible to ignore. #SaveBBEStore #BBEStore #SaveOurVenues #Hackney #ProtectCulture

As the clocks go back this Sunday, millions of night workers will face an extra hour on shift, keeping our night-time economy moving. NTIA supports Uber’s Night Shift Tab campaign, offering night workers in London and Manchester up to £10 off a ride home or an Uber Eats order. Enter NIGHTSHIFT for up to £10 off an Uber ride or NIGHTSHIFTEATS for up to £10 off Uber Eats, valid 00:01 to 08:00 on Sunday 25th October. Terms and conditions apply. It’s a welcome way to recognise the people who make our nights possible. Read more: buff.ly/LDU9xeU

What happens when culture becomes a reason to stay out after dark? Four initiatives show how museums, artists and city services can widen the nighttime economy. Ireland’s 2026 After Hours at the Museum scheme allocated €420,000 to support later openings and live events. Grants of up to €8,000 can cover staff costs. An evening programme requires people to welcome visitors and keep a building running, as well as an idea worth seeing. São Paulo’s Virada Cultural took the concept outdoors in May. The city announced more than 1,300 free attractions across 24 continuous hours, from music and dance to cinema and visual art. Its transport plan kept metro and suburban trains operating through the night, with extra buses and free municipal buses on Sunday. Culture and the journey home were planned together. Toronto’s October Nuit Blanche offered more than 70 free art projects from 7 pm to 7 am. Its disability led Remote Access Hub streamed tours and interviews with live description, ASL interpretation and captions, extending the night to people who could not attend in person. Hong Kong Palace Museum offered another mix in August: after hours exhibition access alongside talks, folk dance, DJs and Egyptian food at a ticketed cultural evening. The lesson is practical. A richer night needs programming, paid staff, transport, accessibility and places to eat. When those pieces connect, cultural institutions can help create more varied reasons to go out, more opportunities for artists and hospitality, and a nighttime economy that belongs to more people.

I’ll be in Amsterdam for ADE today, with tomorrow’s panel on the horizon and plenty of work connecting back to our sector at home. This morning, I’ll speak with Senay about the ADE panel and moderation ahead of Friday’s session. Then I’ll join the NTIA and Security Industry Authority consultation on licence linked qualifications. I’ll approach that conversation with the practical realities of running venues in mind. Training and qualifications need to make sense for the people doing the job, as well as the businesses relying on them. A call with Annie from Uber will follow, before an LBC interview for Uber later in the morning. Around midday, I’ll also be hoping to join Howard Dawber and the London Business Forum. Nightlife deserves a place in the capital’s wider business conversation, alongside the hospitality and cultural spaces that give London its character. Early in the afternoon, I’ll join Joanne Smith from the Institute of Hospitality for a webinar run through. There’ll be a Propel deadline later in the afternoon, followed by a separate catch up with Ariel Palitz, former New York Night Mayor! This evening, I’ll record an interview for Laura McGhie’s BBC Radio 5 Live programme, with Uber’s campaign supporting night workers part of the conversation. I’ll use that opportunity to put the people working through the night and the support they need in the spotlight, before turning my attention to tomorrow’s speaking slot at ADE.

Good morning from NTIA. With the Budget six days away, the Chancellor has acknowledged the pressure on businesses from tax, regulation and employment rules. Reports suggest relief from some reporting requirements for smaller firms, but the measures are not confirmed. The Prime Minister is meeting mayors today to discuss business rates retention. For venues, pubs and hospitality businesses, the detail on local funding and business costs will matter. The Government has approved the Jackdaw gas field, while a decision on Rosebank remains outstanding. Ministers are also examining gas standing charges, although no change has been announced and shifting costs into unit prices may not lower bills. We will watch what the Budget actually delivers for businesses facing high energy costs. On the international front, UK and EU talks on a youth experience scheme continue, but caps and health charges remain unresolved. A future agreement could matter for travel and the talent available to our sector. Security plans to protect undersea cables are also expected today. And a welcome moment for culture: Blackpool, Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Wrexham have reached the UK City of Culture 2029 shortlist. Their bids offer an opportunity to showcase local events and hospitality.

NTIA, IPSA x SIA Webinar | Licence Linked Qualifications The NTIA, in partnership with the Security Industry Authority (SIA), is hosting a webinar on the ongoing consultation into proposed changes to licence linked qualifications. 📅 Thursday 22nd October ⏰ 9:30am Hear directly from the SIA about the proposals, the reasons behind the review and what the changes could mean for businesses and individuals across the private security and night time economy sectors. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and share your views ahead of the consultation closing. Link to Register Here: buff.ly/kgcEnnc

NTIA CEO Michael Kill will be speaking at Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) this Friday, joining an important conversation on the evolving relationship between dance music, drugs, safety and modern club culture. Panel: Ethics of the Dance: Drugs, Movement & the Shifting Hedonism Space 📅 Friday 23rd October 2026 ⏰ 16:00 to 17:00 📍 Felix Meritis, Amsterdam See you there! #ADE2026 #AmsterdamDanceEvent #NTIA #NightTimeEconomy #MusicIndustry