Britain’s pubs are closing at a rate of nearly two per day as Generation Z increasingly swaps bar nights for running clubs, padel courts and alcohol-free daytime dance events.
A study published in May by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), which represents thousands of pubs and breweries, found that 161 pubs shut in England, Wales and Scotland between January and March this year. Since 2000, more than a quarter of the country’s pubs have disappeared, with the total falling from 60,800 to 44,650 in 2025.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA, said rising costs and taxes were among the reasons for the financial pressure on pubs. Experts say cultural shifts are also driving the change.
Thomas Thurnell-Read, a sociologist at the University of Loughborough who studies leisure and consumption, said heavy drinking was once a normal part of established social rituals for older generations. He said it was standard in many professions to go to the pub on a Friday or even at lunchtime, have three beers and return to work, something that now sounds nostalgic.
Thurnell-Read said a key difference between Gen Z, people born between 1997 and 2012, and older generations is the pressure young people feel to succeed and to use free time productively. He said Gen Z grew up with Instagram and TikTok and feels the need to be seen doing well, meaning that spending hours in a pub or losing a morning to a hangover has come to feel like wasted time.
Research by Drinkaware, a British alcohol-awareness organisation, shows a growing number of people are switching to low- or no-alcohol drinks.
Sport replaces the round
Running surged in popularity during pandemic lockdowns, driven largely by Gen Z, and has reshaped the social calendar for many young people. Data from the London Marathon show that more than a third of runners who completed the 42-kilometre course this year were aged 18 to 29. In 2010, 2016 and 2019, that age group accounted for between 18 and 21 percent of finishers.
Rhys Lloyd, a 24-year-old from the small town of Brecon in south Wales, took up running during the pandemic after concluding there was not much to do in his town beyond going to the pub. He quickly fell in love with the sport and, when restrictions lifted, joined free community park runs in nearby villages. Saturday morning runs have now replaced Friday nights at the bar. Lloyd said he still drinks but has cut back significantly, adding that the more you understand healthy living, the sooner you realise how much drinking affects you.
Padel has also grown sharply since the pandemic. The racket sport, played in pairs and combining elements of tennis and squash, had around 860,000 British players by the end of 2025, according to the Lawn Tennis Association, more than double the figure from a year earlier and far above the 15,000 players recorded at the end of 2019.
Oscar Sanger, who works at a busy padel club in London, said the business aims to create an environment that feels like a second home, with food, coworking space, live music and speed-dating events aimed at younger visitors. He said the club is seeing far more people wanting to socialise through sport, which aligns with wider trends around drinking less and using exercise as a way to connect.
Coffee instead of cocktails
Emily Nicholls, a senior lecturer in sociology at the University of York who researches alcohol consumption and sobriety, told CNN that older generations tended to see alcohol as a solution to the stress of work and daily life. For Gen Z, she said, it has become part of the problem rather than the solution.
Nicholls linked this shift to the specific pressures facing Gen Z, including rising living costs, economic uncertainty and difficulty getting onto the housing ladder. She said young people are experiencing an intensified version of the pressure to stand out, more so than previous generations.
Some young people who once went to nightclubs are now seeking the same social energy at daytime alcohol-free events. Coffee Culture UK organises so-called coffee raves, daytime dance events in cafe settings with no alcohol. The company said on average two-thirds of its attendees are aged 18 to 24, with a smaller share between 25 and 30.
Tanya Thadani, the company’s founder, said she believes Gen Z is looking for new ways to socialise that centre on community, connection and wellbeing rather than on alcohol.
Aditi Devali, 20, said one reason she avoids nightclubs is that they start too late and disrupt her sleep. Coffee raves, she said, suit her consistent routine, letting her enjoy the music, atmosphere and energy of a club-like event without sacrificing a good night’s sleep.
