The Skinny at 20: The state of Scottish clubs

The Berkeley Suite, Glasgow

"Scottish clubbing is at a crossroads. There’s a huge appetite for good music and meaningful nights out, and the passion from artists, promoters, and dancers hasn’t gone anywhere. But economically, it's tough – rising costs, licensing pressures, and unpredictable footfall make it hard to operate sustainably. The Berkeley Suite continues to thrive creatively, our crowd is loyal and curious, and we’re proud to offer a space where underground music and culture can still breathe. But it’s not without challenges. The industry feels fragile across the board, smaller nights struggle to break even, and there's a constant fight to keep things independent and inclusive. With a shift in the post-COVID generation towards big-brand events, we feel incredibly lucky to still be here. As long as people still care about dancing, community, and expression, we’ll keep building."

Optimo (Espacio) @ The Berkeley Suite, Sat 4 Oct – tickets

Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh

"Club culture feels very healthy. Eighteen years in and we've never been busier. There's a decline in the number of people going out spontaneously. It's gone more towards destination events, big names, and festivals. That's why, in some smaller cities and towns where there's only one place to go out, it may well have shut in the last few years. We put on some of the world's best DJs, and that includes locals, but keep it low-key, affordable, and accessible to everyone. We've always had diversity in our lineups, and that leads to diversity in the crowds. Clubs are places to make and celebrate meaningful connections with others, and I guess you can feel that more strongly at Sneaks than pretty much anywhere else."

Agora: Pariah + LWS @ Sneaky Pete's, Thu 2 Oct – tickets

Sub Club, Glasgow

"There have obviously been significant shifts in how people approach their nightlife, and this has coincided with a time where operating costs have escalated massively, so it's been a very tough few years generally. Here at Sub Club, we continue to look for innovative approaches as we stay focused on promoting and introducing the next generation of DJs and electronic music artists. We encourage everyone interested in clubs and music culture to get out and experience as many different things as they can, and not to get locked into the online social media hype cycle."

Subculture with Stevie Cox + Avalon Emerson @ Sub Club, Sat 4 Oct – tickets

The Bongo Club, Edinburgh

"Social media has altered the way kids perceive themselves. Clubbing was/is a display environment, but people do that on Insta and TikTok with much more enthusiasm and now with added filters. There are other factors, of course: less money to spend, the hyperbolic spiking stories in recent years, a lack of prospective promoters, but the biggest factor has been lockdown. There also hasn't been a definable fresh music scene for over a decade, so to an extent, there's nothing for people to get their musical teeth into or get excited about. Though people who love music will always want to feel as well as hear those sounds, and only good sound systems can provide that visceral component."

Chromatic: Plastician @ The Bongo Club, Sat 25 Oct – tickets

The Small Town Club (ex-The Reading Rooms), Dundee

"Things have changed big time post-COVID. Advance tickets and attendances are well down, with most folk making their minds up the week or the day of the event, which causes plenty of anxiety. The whole scene has also changed due to social media, with very few DJs now coming through organically at the grassroots via a small club residency, then building a following, then headlining/running your own night, etc and more like ‘can I get a gig I’ve 10,000 followers’. These days, you can’t afford to take the financial risks you could pre-COVID, and have to scale back on guests."

Jute City Jam feat. Auntie Flo by Small Town @ Fat Sams, Sat 18 Oct – tickets

EXIT, Glasgow

"Two years into running EXIT, longer than we ever thought we would have in our building’s temporary situation. Forever inspired by all the amazing people, who we are lucky to be able to showcase and work with and deeply emotionally attached to what we’ve managed to create here. But whether it's possible and sustainable for spaces like ours to exist today in Glasgow is still a big question mark. Are there enough people in the city who want and are able to engage with spaces like EXIT?"

A.D.S.R w/ Adam X & Dan Monox @ EXIT, Sat 11 Oct – tickets

Stereo, Glasgow

"Clubbing feels relevant again. Anti-establishment movements have shown the real value of nightlife: solidarity, support for social causes, openness, artistic expression, and a feeling of belonging. In Stereo, there's an unprecedented interest in event organising among younger promoters and members of marginalised communities. When newer people in the scene are taken seriously and guided through the processes, it helps create sustainable and authentic events. Not every event has to become something big, but the access and anti-gatekeeping attitude are what keep the scene exciting, fresh, and a meaningful space of co-creation. There are still a lot of problems that exist – resources are limited, government support is nonexistent, but extractive practices (on all sides) won’t take you far. Working together – organising travel shares, and checking in to avoid clashes – rather than against each other might seem idealistic, especially in the current economy, where we are forced to rely solely on sales, but it is the way forward."

Red Museum x Stereo Halloween @ Stereo, Fri 31 Oct – tickets