Jan 16 • Jo Cox-Brown

Consumer Behaviour Trends in the ENTE for 2026

What are visitors really telling us with their feet, phones & wallets?

This is the 9th Edition of Night Time Economy Trends blog, and this time I’m doing it from a consumer perspective. 

As we move into 2026, the night-time economy is no longer “bouncing back from Covid.” It is something else entirely. 

We are operating in a landscape where: 
  • A quarter of late-night venues have vanished since 2020, creating “night-time deserts” in some towns and cities. [The Guardian]
  • Consumer spend in the night-time cultural economy continues to grow, even as margins shrink and operators close. [MorningAdvertiser.co.uk] 
  • Early evening has quietly become the most lucrative trading window in many UK towns and cities, as people choose shorter, more purposeful nights out. [NTIA] 

In other words: demand hasn’t disappeared, it has shifted. The question for 2026 is not, “How do we get people to go out?” It is, “How do we meet people where they already are?” 

Below are the key consumer behaviour trends I see shaping the night-time economy in 2026, with examples of how they show up on the ground. 

1. From all-nighters to purposeful evenings:

The old model of “finish work, go home, get ready, go out at 10 pm, stumble home at 3 am” is no longer the default. 

Economic pressure, caring responsibilities, hybrid working and mental health awareness are all pushing nights out earlier and making them shorter and more deliberate. CGA and the NTIA are already reporting a decline in late-night visits, with early evening emerging as the highest-earning trading window in the UK. 

People still want to go out, but they want: 
A clear reason to leave the house 
A start time, an end time & a predictable spend 
To feel decent when they wake up the next day 

Case study: The “6–10 pm sweet spot” 

In several cities I’ve worked in, operators are quietly re-engineering the night to fit this pattern. A good example: 

Independent restaurant + small music venue collaboration 

6–7.30 pm: fixed-price pre-show menu (with one alcohol-free pairing option as standard) 
8–9.30 pm: live music, immersive activity, creative workshop, theatre or comedy in a space within walking distance 
9.30–10 pm: lights up, everyone out, last transport home 

For consumers, this feels like a full night out that is still compatible with childcare, a morning gym session or an early-start job. For venues, it increases dwell time and spend earlier in the evening while freeing up staff and security costs associated with trading into the small hours. 
Write your awesome label here.

2. “Less often, but better” – selective splurging: 

Cost of living remains one of the biggest forces shaping behaviour. Many people are going out less frequently, but when they do go out, they are willing to spend on quality, atmosphere and memory-making. 

Market monitors show: 
  • A contraction in late-night venues since 2020, 
  • But overall consumer spend in the night-time cultural economy continues to grow year-on-year.  
  • That tells us something important: a shrinking number of venues are competing for a still-significant pot of spend. Consumers are concentrating their spending into fewer, more “worth it” nights. 

People will pay for: 
  • Brilliant sound, lighting & programming 
  • Thoughtful food and drink (including premium low/no alcohol) 
  • Safe, well-managed spaces with a strong sense of identity 

They are less forgiving of: 
  • Mediocre experiences 
  • Long queues for everything 
  • Dirty, unsafe or chaotic environments

    Case study: Upscaling the “ordinary” Friday 
    One venue group I’ve been working with redesigned its traditional “cheap shots Friday” into: 
  • A curated DJ line-up with local talent, cultural experiences and creative workshops. 
  • Simple, mid-priced cocktails made well (including one or two stand-out signatures) 
  • Tapas and sharing plates, free water, clear signage and visible welfare staff 
  • Average spend per head went up, anti-social behaviour went down, and feedback repeatedly mentioned that the night “felt more grown-up but still fun.” That is selective splurging in action.  

3. Rethinking alcohol: sober-curious, hybrid & alternative nights 

The story of alcohol in 2026 is not “young people don’t drink.” It is more nuanced: 

Around a third of 18–24 year olds in the UK do not drink alcohol at all, and many others drink much less than previous generations, driven by health, cost and mental wellbeing. 

At the same time, new research suggests a slight rebound in drinking among Gen Z, showing that many still want to enjoy alcohol, but in a more controlled and occasional way. 

What is clear is that: Being drunk is no longer the central objective of a night out for a large proportion of consumers. 

We are seeing: 

  • Coffee shops, dessert bars & late-opening cafés acting as “new cocktail bars” with complex, Instagrammable non-alcoholic drinks, particularly in big cities. 
  • Hybrid nights where some guests drink, some don’t, and it simply isn’t a big deal
  • A rise in ticketed alcohol-free events: club nights, sound journeys, live music and movement-based events 

Case study: The alcohol-optional club night 

  • In one LGBTQIA+ venue I support, the team trialled a monthly alcohol-optional night: 
  • Full DJ line-up, dancefloor & lighting 
  • Sophisticated zero-proof cocktails served in the same glassware, at similar price points 
  • Breathwork & chill-out space, plus easy access to free fruity flavoured water, herbal teas and healthy snacks curated by a local chef and deli who cross-promoted the event.

The night sold out repeatedly, not because “no one drinks anymore,” but because people wanted the feeling of a big night without the hangover. Interestingly, bar spend remained healthy thanks to premium low/no drinks, herbal teas, mocktails and food. 
Write your awesome label here.

4. Frictionless nights: “I’ll spend more if you waste less of my time” 

The tolerance for queuing is at an all-time low. 

Consumers who can order a taxi, a takeaway and a new winter coat from their phone in 30 seconds do not understand why they should queue twenty minutes at a bar for a drink, or spend half an hour trying to pay a bill at 11.15pm. 

Mobile ordering, QR codes at tables and order-ahead apps at festivals are no longer “nice to have.” They are simply how many people expect to transact. Hospitality tech providers report that QR table ordering and mobile apps: 
  • Reduce queues and cluttered bar areas 
  • Free staff up for genuine hospitality 
  • Increase per-head spend by making it easy to order “one more round” 

Case study: Queue-less festivals & bars 

At a large outdoor event series, organisers introduced: 
  • Mobile ordering for drinks and some food traders.  
  • Clearly signposted collection points and pay more for delivery direct to a geo location. 
  • Contactless “express bars” for simple serves which included bottles, cans, and water. 
  • AI driven time sensitive prompts to suggest that customers might want to re-order drinks, snacks and food. Using messages such as “you ordered x you might like y”, “are you thirsty or hungry we can bring you x, y or z just ask” which lead to a 72% increase in ordering. 

Guests spent less time standing in lines and more time watching performances. Per-head spend increased, and satisfaction scores improved, especially among older attendees and families who might otherwise only have made one purchase all night. 

In bricks-and-mortar venues, I am seeing similar gains when operators: 
  • Enable app or QR ordering for busy periods 
  • Use handheld devices for staff to take payments at the table 
  • Offer “order & pay when you’re ordering or ready” models rather than chasing the bill 
  • Order prompting via apps 

5. Safety, care & trust as the new currency 

In every city I work in, consumers are more outspoken about safety than they were five years ago. 

This isn’t just about crime. It’s about: 
  • How easy it is to get home at night 
  • Whether staff intervene in harassment or uncomfortable situations 
  • How clearly venues communicate their approach to sexual harassment, drink spiking and vulnerability 
  • Whether a place “feels held” – especially for women, LGBTQIA+ communities, disabled people and young workers 

National reports highlight safety concerns and poor late-night transport as major brakes on the late-night economy, even where demand exists. 

People are voting with their feet. They will: 
  • Walk past three venues to reach the one that feels safer and more welcoming 
  • Choose a restaurant with visible welfare measures over a cheaper but chaotic bar 
  • Avoid whole districts where they have previously felt unsafe, no matter how good the programming is on paper 

Case study: Safe Nights schemes & visible care 

In UK and Irish cities where we have introduced Safe Bus / Help Zone models, vulnerability training and clear anti-harassment policies, we’ve seen: 
  • Increases in positive sentiment about going out at night, particularly from women and LGBTQIA+ people 
  • Stronger relationships between operators, police, residents and late-night transport providers 
  • Guests explicitly mentioning safety in their reviews, often alongside atmosphere and music 

Safety isn’t “an add-on.” In 2026 it is a core part of the product. Care is a competitive advantage. 
Write your awesome label here.

6. Hyper-local culture & the rise of “small but mighty” scenes 

While some areas are becoming “night-time deserts,” others are experiencing a flowering of small, hyper-local cultural offers. 

Consumer spend after 6pm remains significant – in some studies, hospitality accounts for over 40% of that spend.

Where traditional late-night institutions have closed, people are turning to: 
  • Neighbourhood bars and restaurants with a clear identity 
  • Community-led venues, arts spaces and social enterprises 
  • Hybrid spaces: coffee shop by day, natural wine bar by night, or co-working studio that hosts gigs and talks in the evening 

We are also seeing coffee shops and bakeries step directly into the role of social hubs, offering high-end drinks, evening opening and a “third space” feel with a nightlife edge (without the 3am finish). New York Post 

Case study: The “anchored” neighbourhood 

In one city, the loss of a major nightclub could have created a night-time desert. Instead, the local authority worked with residents and operators to: 

  • Support independent restaurateurs to extend trading into the early evening 
  • Programme small-scale performances in libraries, galleries and community centres 
  • Improve lighting, walking routes and information so that people felt safer moving between venues 

The result wasn’t a like-for-like replacement of the club, but a new pattern of activity: after-work food, early shows, neighbourhood bar culture, family-friendly events and a more diverse mix of people on the streets after 6pm. 

7. Inclusion isn’t a niche, it’s mainstream demand 

Finally, one of the most powerful shifts is that “inclusive” nights are no longer seen as niche or fringe. 

  • Consumers are actively looking for spaces that: 
  • Welcome LGBTQIA+ communities, people of colour, neurodivergent guests and disabled people 
  • Offer a range of price points
  • Consider sensory needs – lighting, sound levels, quiet spaces 
  • Reflect local culture and lived experience in their programming, not as a tokenistic add-on 
  • Reports on the night-time cultural economy show that live music, cultural venues and diverse programming are key drivers of spend growth, even in a challenging economic climate. 

Case study: Cardiff’s inclusive approach 

In Cardiff’s LGBTQIA+ strategy work, we heard repeatedly from communities that: 
  • They wanted more than “one safe bar” or a single Pride weekend 
  • Safety, representation and respect in every venue mattered 
  • Partnerships between grassroots organisers, the council and mainstream venues made the biggest difference 

Where cities and towns have invested in this kind of inclusive planning, we see a richer, more resilient night-time offer that attracts visitors, residents and talent. 
Write your awesome label here.
Write your awesome label here.

Final thoughts

What this means for 2026 & beyond 

For operators, BIDs, councils and investors, these trends point towards a simple truth: 

The night-time economy is not dying. It is evolving into something more intentional, more hybrid and more demanding of quality, care and relevance. 

To thrive in 2026, ask: 
  • Are we designing for the 6–10pm sweet spot, or still clinging to the 1am fantasy? 
  • Where can we invite “less often, but better” guests to splurge and genuinely deliver on that promise? 
  • How visible is our care? Would a first-time visitor feel safe, welcome and held in this space? 
  • How much friction can we remove from the journey from discovery and booking to ordering, paying and getting home? 
  • Whose stories and cultures are missing from our night-time offer and how can we co-create with them, not just market to them? 

Those who treat these shifts as a design brief, not a threat, will be the ones shaping the next chapter of our night-time economies. 
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