A UK night out costs 34% more than in 2020, NTIA warns
New CGA by NIQ research lands as the Night Time Industries Association presses the Chancellor on costs ahead of the Budget.
The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) is warning that UK “consumers have now hit an affordability ceiling.” New CGA by NIQ figures, reported by Mixmag, put the average night out at a bar, pub or restaurant at £28.06 a head, up from £20.95 in 2020. That is a 34% rise in six years.
The NTIA is calling on the government to take note of the numbers before the Chancellor’s Budget statement, due at 12:30 PM on October 28. Growth in spending per head slowed to 2.1% over the past year. In London, the average went from £30.09 per person in 2025 to £30.08 in 2026.
The association says the rise reflects cost pressure on operators. They face higher bills for employment, energy, taxation, business rates and supply chains, and those costs are increasingly passed on to customers.
“This week’s Budget comes at a defining moment for British nightlife,” said NTIA CEO Michael Kill. “The consumer cannot be the industry’s financial shock absorber indefinitely.”
The NTIA is urging action on business rates, employment costs and taxation to prevent further venue closures. Without it, the association warns, rising costs threaten businesses, jobs and cultural spaces in towns and cities nationwide.
