When service ends, who needs a licence, what the bill and the team cost, and the nights that fill the city, for anyone running a club, lounge or bar here.
London’s late-night trade is concentrated in Westminster, which holds more than 4,000 licensed premises, the largest concentration in the country, including 116 nightclubs and dance venues across Soho, the West End and Mayfair. Shoreditch, Dalston and Brick Lane sit in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, Borough and Peckham in Southwark, and Camden Town and Brixton add pubs and live music. There is no national closing time. Westminster’s core hours end at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, while Southwark’s guide lets nightclubs in its major town centres run to 6 a.m. The year peaks with Pride in July, Notting Hill Carnival on the August bank holiday weekend and New Year’s Eve. For an operator, hours, levy and cumulative impact rules change borough by borough.
The Licensing Act 2003 sets the rules for England, and each of London’s 32 boroughs and the City of London is its own licensing authority with its own policy. Here is what a licensed room needs, from the end of service to the tip pool. Liquor licences come from the licensing team of each London borough.
There is no national closing time: hours are written into each premises licence and decided by the council. These are starting points, not entitlements, and later hours are considered on their merits. Westminster’s pubs and bars have core hours to 11:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, and its new policy took effect on 1 October 2026.
A door supervisor licence costs £204 and lasts three years, and renewals can start four months early.
MoreWestminster lists a set number of SIA-registered door supervisors as a possible licence condition.
Source: SIA licenceFirst-time applicants need a current Level 2 door supervisor qualification gained in the last three years, plus a first aid certificate valid for at least another 12 months.
MoreRenewals need the refresher award. From 11 August 2026 the SIA no longer accepts new BIIAB qualifications.
Source: SIA trainingA premises licence must carry an age verification policy: anyone who looks under 18 shows photo ID with a date of birth and a hologram or UV mark.
MoreChallenge 25 is a house policy, not a legal rule. Westminster says it considers such proof of age policies for protecting children.
Source: legislation.gov.ukA personal licence holder must be 18 or over and, in almost all cases, hold a licensing qualification. Every alcohol-selling business needs a designated premises supervisor (DPS) who holds one.
MoreThe DPS is the main contact for the authorities. Members’ clubs and some community premises are exempt.
Source: GOV.UKThe Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 says tips, gratuities and service charges must be shared fairly between workers and paid by the employer.
MoreThe code of practice wants a written policy, no deductions bar tax, and tips records kept for three years. A tronc is the special pay arrangement for sharing them.
Source: legislation.gov.ukSelling alcohol, music or late-night food needs a premises licence from the borough. The fee depends on the premises’ rateable value band, and an annual fee follows.
MoreThere is no fixed term. Unlicensed licensable activity is an offence.
Source: Fee levelsEvery licence must offer small measures (half pint, 25 ml or 35 ml spirits, 125 ml wine) and free tap water on request.
MoreIrresponsible promotions, such as games that make people drink a quantity within a time limit, are banned.
Source: legislation.gov.ukNoise from premises that is a nuisance or prejudicial to health is a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
MoreWestminster licences can cap noise levels by time of night and control DJs, live bands, extractor fans and customers.
Source: legislation.gov.ukNew noise-sensitive homes must mitigate the noise of existing venues, which should stay viable and can grow without unreasonable limits.
MoreThat can mean the developer paying for soundproofing at an existing music venue. The principle also works the other way for a new noisy use.
Source: City HallThe Licensing Act has no national closing time. The licence’s operating schedule sets the hours, after any objections, and every decision must serve one of the four licensing objectives.
MoreTower Hamlets and Camden both say their end times are not the usual or normal terminal hour.
Source: legislation.gov.ukWestminster’s West End zone holds about 95 pubs and bars and 50 nightclubs. Outside core hours, new late rooms there normally succeed only in exceptional circumstances.
MoreSouthwark keeps zones in Borough and Bankside, Camberwell and Peckham. Camden has none. Hackney and Tower Hamlets keep their own areas.
Source: Westminster City CouncilHackney, Tower Hamlets, Camden and Southwark charge a levy on premises licensed to sell alcohol after midnight. Tower Hamlets bands run from £299 to £4,440 a year.
MoreIt is payable whether the late hours are used or not, and non-payment can suspend the licence. Westminster’s 2026 policy does not mention a levy.
Source: Tower Hamlets CouncilA TEN covers an event for fewer than 500 people, staff included, for up to 168 hours. Give it at least 10 clear working days ahead, or 5 to 9 for a late notice.
MoreA person gets 5 TENs a year, or 50 with a personal licence, and a premises up to 15 totalling no more than 21 days. Westminster prefers a month’s notice.
Source: GOV.UKThe English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill 2026 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026 and gives the Mayor new licensing powers.
MoreThey include a London-wide Strategic Licensing Policy, a duty on boroughs to consult the Mayor, a role as a responsible authority and a call-in power. The call-in procedure is still to come.
Source: City HallSelling alcohol needs a premises licence from the borough, on top of a personal licence for the person named as DPS. In London the path runs in this order.
Send the application with an operating schedule: hours, activities and the steps you take to promote the four licensing objectives. Copy it to the responsible authorities, including police, fire and environmental health.
Source: GOV.UKSource: Westminster City CouncilDisplay a pale blue notice, at least A4, on the premises for 28 consecutive days, and run a notice in a local newspaper within 10 working days. Premises over 50 square metres need a further notice every 50 metres of external perimeter.
Source: legislation.gov.ukIf nobody makes a relevant representation, the council must grant the licence on your schedule plus the mandatory conditions. If one stands, a Licensing Sub-Committee hearing can grant, add conditions, remove activities or refuse.
Source: Westminster City CouncilSource: GOV.UKThe designated premises supervisor must hold a personal licence. The police can object to a DPS appointment only in exceptional circumstances.
Source: GOV.UKSource: Westminster City CouncilThere is no fixed term. An annual fee falls due each year on the anniversary of the grant.
Source: Annual feeIssued by the licensing team of each London borough
General information, not legal advice. Laws and licence conditions change and vary by venue. Confirm with your borough council before acting on it.
How a table’s bill adds up once tax and a service charge are on it, and what guests pay at the door.
| Minimum spend | £1,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Service charge 12.5%, added by the venue | £125.00 |
| VAT 20%, included in the prices | £166.67 |
| Guest pays | £1,125.00 |
| Tip the guest chooses to add | No tax |
UK prices include VAT at 20%, so the £1,000 minimum spend already contains it. The 12.5% service charge here is an example rate, not a legal one.
Source: GOV.UKA compulsory service charge is part of the price of the supply and carries the same VAT as the meal, however the money is shared out. Make the charge compulsory and VAT applies to it too.
Source: HMRC service chargesA discretionary charge, one guests genuinely have a choice over, sits outside VAT, as in the bill above. The menu, not the bill, sets which it is, so it can’t be changed after the fact. Tips freely given are outside VAT too.
Source: HMRC catering noticeEither way the money belongs to staff: the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 treats service charges like tips and requires them to be allocated fairly and paid by the employer.
Source: legislation.gov.ukRough estimates for tickets and bottle-service tables, from public listings and venues’ own pages.
£8 to £25
Typically about £12
Generalised, not London data: no London venue publishes a ticket price on its own page, so this is a rough range for a Thursday to Saturday club night, scaled to pounds from general estimates for other cities. VAT is included in UK prices.
£150 to £500
A typical table, about £250
Generalised, not London data: no London venue publishes a table minimum on its own page, so this is a rough range for the lowest table, scaled to pounds from general estimates for other cities, before any service charge. Central rooms may sit above it.
Figures are estimates from the sources and samples listed. They change often and may be wrong. Check with the venue or the relevant authority before relying on them. Venues and events named here aren’t affiliated with VenueStack and haven’t endorsed this guide.
Hourly wages for the roles a night runs on, and the rules on tips.
| Role | Range, low to high | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Bar staff£10.00 to £14.82 | £13.16 | |
| Waiters and waitresses£8.49 to £15.45 | £13.19 | |
| Chefs£12.21 to £19.04 | £14.98 | |
| Security guards£12.22 to £19.20 | £14.52 |
Minimum wage £12.71 an hour, since April 2026Source: GOV.UK
Bar: lowest to highest wage reported. Dot: median. Source: ONS
Tips, gratuities and service charges must be allocated fairly between workers and paid by the employer. The code asks for a written tipping policy and records kept for three years, which a worker can ask to see once a quarter.
Source: Tips codeNothing comes out of tips and service charges except in very limited cases, such as income tax. Service charges are treated the same as tips.
Source: Tips codeA revised code that adds a duty to consult workers on the tipping policy was withdrawn from Parliament for new consultation. Employers should keep following the existing code for now.
Source: Revised tips codeA tronc is a special arrangement for sharing tips, gratuities and service charges.
Source: HMRCThe National Living Wage covers ages 21 and over. From April 2026 it is £10.85 for 18 to 20, and £8.00 for under 18s and apprentices.
Source: GOV.UK
The nights that fill a room, or empty it, month by month.
Follows New Year’s Eve, so the night before trades late.
Official siteThe dinner and date crowd.
No city-wide dates
A bank holiday, so Thursday trades as a holiday eve.
Official siteEaster Sunday trades like a Saturday.
Official siteSunday night trades like a Saturday, and Westminster gives it Friday core hours.
Official siteA long weekend; Westminster gives the Sunday before it Friday core hours.
Official siteNo city-wide dates
The organiser reports about 1 million spectators and 25,250 parade participants at its latest event, and Visit London says Soho hosts the capital’s annual Pride celebrations.
Official siteSunday is the families’ day and Monday the adults’ day, with the steel band competition on the Saturday.
Official siteThe same weekend as Notting Hill Carnival.
Official siteNo city-wide dates
The Friday or Saturday nearest it is the big night.
The nearest weekend is busy.
Boxing Day is a big night. When either falls on a weekend, the next weekday becomes the bank holiday.
Official siteNo statutory extension: venues ask for seasonal timings in their licence or use a temporary event notice.
London’s nightlife districts and the rooms each is known for.
A West End district of nightlife hotspots, recognised as London’s LGBTQ+ hub, with LGBTQ+ pubs and bars after dark.
Westminster’s only Purple Flag area, with a Best Bar None scheme run by the Heart of London Business Alliance.
Two neighbouring east London areas known for lively streets and independent spirit, with trendy bars and boutique hotels.
A listing of gig venues, a gay bar, pubs and a roof park, including Cafe OTO, Dalston Superstore and The Victoria.
Tower Hamlets keeps a Special Cumulative Impact Policy here, expanded to its south-eastern edge in 2024.
Quirky pubs and iconic boozers, the places for a pint before a gig. It is no longer a cumulative impact zone.
A Southwark Major Town Centre and cumulative impact area covering nightclubs, pubs and bars, restaurants and off-licences.
A Southwark Major Town Centre and cumulative impact area, where the borough’s guide lets nightclubs run to 6 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
One of London’s most popular areas for live music, trend-defining food and a jumping nightlife.
A listing of pubs, bars, a gay bar and a club near Clapham Common, including The Alexandra and Infernos.
Who lives in and visits the city. These describe Greater London’s population and economy, not any venue’s guests.
Sell tickets, take table bookings with deposits, run the guest list and check guests in at the door, in one place. Built for clubs, lounges and bars.
£12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over from April 2026. It is £10.85 for 18 to 20 and £8.00 for under 18s and apprentices. The ONS puts London’s median hourly pay for bar staff at £13.16.
A tronc is a special arrangement for sharing tips, gratuities and service charges. Under the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 those amounts must be allocated fairly between workers and paid by the employer, and the code asks for a written policy and three years of records.
Every business selling alcohol needs a designated premises supervisor, and that person must hold a personal licence. The holder must be 18 or over and, in almost all cases, have a licensing qualification such as the Level 2 Award for Personal Licence Holders. Members’ clubs and some community premises are exempt.
Apply to your borough with an operating schedule and copy it to the police, fire and environmental health. Advertise with a pale blue notice for 28 consecutive days and a local newspaper notice. If nobody objects the council must grant it; otherwise a Licensing Sub-Committee hearing decides.
The application fee runs from £100 to £635 by rateable value band, or £900 and £1,905 for the top two bands when the premises mainly sell alcohol to drink on site. Annual fees run from £70 to £350, or £640 and £1,050 for those two bands.
A TEN costs £21 and covers an event for fewer than 500 people, staff included, lasting up to 168 hours. Give it at least 10 clear working days ahead. A person can give 5 a year, or 50 with a personal licence, and a premises can hold up to 15 totalling no more than 21 days.
There is no national closing time. Each licence sets its hours. Westminster’s core hours for pubs, bars and music venues end at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, Camden’s framework hours at 12:30 a.m., and Southwark’s guide lets nightclubs in major town centres run to 6 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The SIA door supervisor licence costs £204 and lasts three years. First-time applicants need a Level 2 door supervisor qualification gained in the last three years and a first aid certificate. Westminster lists SIA-registered door supervisors as a possible licence condition.
It depends on the menu. HMRC treats a compulsory service charge as part of the price, so it carries VAT at 20%. A discretionary charge guests genuinely have a choice over sits outside VAT, as do tips freely given. Either way the money must be shared with staff under the Tips Act.
It is an area where a council presumes against new licences that would add to crime, disorder or nuisance. Westminster has one covering the West End, Southwark has three, Tower Hamlets has one around Brick Lane and Camden has none since its 2025 policy.
Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Camden and Southwark charge a levy on premises licensed to sell alcohol after midnight, whether or not the late hours are used. Tower Hamlets’ bands run from £299 to £4,440 a year. Westminster’s 2026 policy does not mention one.
VenueStack publishes this guide for general information. We take care to keep it accurate and list our sources and review dates, but we can’t guarantee it is complete, current or correct, and we aren’t responsible for decisions made on it. Nothing here is legal, tax or financial advice. Prices, minimums and wages are estimates from the samples described and don’t represent any particular venue. Venues, events and organisations named here aren’t affiliated with VenueStack and haven’t endorsed this guide.
Data gathered in October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
ManchesterEngland, United Kingdom
Premises and personal licences, the council’s Special Policy areas, hours that vary by area, no late night levy, SIA door staff, tronc and tips, VAT on service charges, wages and the year’s big nights.
Read the guide
BirminghamEngland, United Kingdom
No core hours, premises and personal licences, temporary event notices, SIA door licences, tronc and tips law, VAT on service charges, wages and the year’s big nights.
Read the guide
GlasgowScotland, United Kingdom
Board hours from midnight to 4 a.m., premises, personal and occasional licences, overprovision, staff training, SIA door licences, tronc and tips law, VAT on service charges, wages and the year’s big nights.
Read the guide
