THE owner of a popular Hereford nightclub says nightlife has come back with a bang since the Covid pandemic.

A report by the owners of Play Nightclub Hereford shows the public's appetite for nights out is higher than ever.

REKOM UK, who owns play, found in its quarterly night Index, that despite the devastating impact of Covid-19, including the closure of nightclubs for 16 months, the average consumer spend, frequency and duration of nights out remains strong.

Of those surveyed, just under half of 18–24-year-olds felt they were unfairly restricted from going out during Covid-19, with 80 per cent saying they are keen to go out more to those venues that were shut for a long period because of the pandemic.

Spending time with friends came out as 65 per cent was revealed to be the most popular reason for going on a night out, with the next being to relieve stress at 23.6 per cent and to enjoy shared experiences at 23.1 per cent.

While going out to meet a partner was lower down the priority list, with just 5.7 per cent saying this was important.

But more than half of those surveyed, 56.4 per cent, agreed that going to nightclubs is an integral part of growing up, while 40.1 per cent said that going clubbing plays a crucial role in developing social skills as they move into adulthood.

More than a third of consumers polled, 36.7 per cent, said that going out to nightclubs is helpful in learning to socialise as an adult in a controlled environment.

People are going out as often as they did pre-pandemic, with people reporting 1.2 times a week for March 2022 and 2019 alike.

REKOM UK's chairman, Peter Marks, said he is pleased to welcome back guest and believes nightclubs are an important outlet.

"What stood out to me more than anything is the strong positive reaction people have expressed to the night out – whether that's enthusiasm for returning to pre-pandemic social lives for the younger generation, or the sense of nostalgia from those that might not be going as frequently as they used to.

"There's no doubt that the late-night leisure sector is back in full force and people are ready to enjoy themselves."