Darlington nightlife: Battling ‘decline’ and hope for future

With a string of popular bars and clubs closing in recent years – from Avalon and Hoskins to The Grange and InsideOut – it’s hard to not feel like the town’s nightlife is in decline. 

But there’s also a glimmer of hope – with The Cherry Tree, Hummingbird, and ZUU Bar among those to open in recent months.

And while some businesses are feeling the brunt of the widespread cost-of-living crisis, there are many positives – and cocktail bars, bottomless brunches, and day drinks could be the key to injecting life back into the pubs, bars, and clubs in town. 

Darlington Council said it has put in a “range of measures” to attract people to the town’s nightlife scene, including the upcoming outdoor space on Coniscliffe Road, and is continuing to support the town’s businesses.

The Northern Echo headed out to speak with businesses about the changing nightlife – and while some believe it’s in “decline”, others say there is hope for a new era with new drinking trends and array of arrivals in town.

“We’ve noticed massive changes since Covid”, Helen Douglas, manager at the newly-opened Hummingbird, told The Echo. 

The Hummingbird Cocktail Bar (Image: HUMMINGBIRD)

“The younger generation don’t come out as much anymore whereas before it used to be packed. The main factor is the cost of living; people just don’t have disposable income.

“It’s also down to the fact that Darlington is changing, there aren’t really any proper nightclubs anymore, it’s just cocktail bars which attract an older crowd.”

The Hummingbird, which sits at the home of its predecessor Hoskins on Blackwellgate, opened in August 2024, revamping the interior into a modern cocktail bar.

Since then, it’s gone on to be praised for its “gorgeous” revamp and “fabulous” drinks menu. 

Inside The Hummingbird (Image: HUMMINGBIRD)

And while Ms Douglas argued that nightlife was declining in Darlington, there are other things to be positive about, adding: “Day drinking is much more popular now, we have really good afternoons then it quiets down at teatime.”

Fellow Hummingbird manager Dylan Scott argued the town is getting busier due to new nightlife trends.

He said: “There are more cocktail bars and bottomless brunches, which you used to only be able to get in places like York, so now people don’t have to leave Darlington to get it.

“There isn’t really a sense of competition between the bars in Darlington, there’s a sense of community, we all have good communication with each other, and we all borrow things from each other all the time.

“It helps to be different and stand out as a bar, we have live entertainment on a Sunday which brings people out on a day they normally wouldn’t, and we have theatrics with making our cocktails, and once people are out, they are willing to spend their money.”

‘It feels quieter – but times have changed’

We also spoke to popular bar Number Twenty 2, which is a renowned destination for beer lovers and is set to celebrate its 30th birthday in March.

After three decades, the pub remains a vital part of Darlington, embodying the town’s evolving drinking culture and its continued passion for Real Ale. 

Number Twenty 2 (Image: STAFF)

Vicki Ramsay Hammond, owner of Number Twenty 2 said: “It’s generally quieter during the week, Darlington’s more of a weekend town.

“A lot of businesses in town don’t bother opening during the week, because there just isn’t enough footfall to justify staying open.

“It feels quieter than before, I think just because times have changed.”

The 39-year-old said people don’t come to the pub for the same reasons they once did.

‘Young people aren’t going out anymore – they don’t have the money’ 

Ms Ramsey Hammond said she thinks there’s been a shift in socialising for different age groups, with town centre bars now attracting an older clientele. 

“We attract an older crowd, but young people still come out on a weekend,” she said.

“I think during the week they do other things instead of drinking.

“We are seeing more groups of older women, who would usually perhaps go to cities like York or Newcastle coming here instead.

“I don’t think nightlife declining is a reflection of Darlington, just the fact that times are changing in the way that people socialise.

“It seems that the younger generation are less likely to go out on a weeknight, whereas older people are loving bottomless brunches and day drinking.”

Cocktail bar The Cherry Tree, also on Blackwellgate, welcomed customers for the first time in November to experience its “exclusive cocktails and master mixologists”. 

It seems to be the perfect new addition to Darlington, with manager Christoforos Moumouris, 26, saying: “I don’t think there are any huge signs of revitalising the nightlife in Darlington. 

“Except maybe the fact that there are lots of new bars opening, which could potentially bring people in from other areas.”

Mr Moumouris admitted it was a hard to for businesses amid the cost of living crisis, but added that weekends remain busy at The Cherry Tree. 

Inside The Cherry Tree (Image: CHERRY TREE)

He added: “The older generation generally have a lot more money to spend than young people. Younger people might be going to other cities where there’s more options for clubbing.

“We generally bring in an older crowd, around ages 40-50, so we just target a different demographic of customers.”

Another new addition to the town is rainforest-themed bar ZUU Bar, which opened in the former Miss Ruby’s in December 2024. 

Owner Adem Kuzgun, 22, said costs were the biggest problem facing the firm, which include increasing wages, and gas and electricity bills.

Zuu Bar in Darlington (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

He explained: “Generally, it is a mix of people who go out, the older generation are out during the day then they want to leave by ten, and the younger people come out much later.

“Weekends are still busy so there is hope for nightlife to get better, because of new bars opening people have more options, and this will entice them to choose staying in Darlington rather than going to York or Newcastle.

“We have so many events coming up like bottomless brunches, so that will hopefully attract people to stay in Darlington.”

Cuma Erdem (right) and Adem Kuzgun (left) (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

‘Urgent intervention needed’ in UK nightlife

Nightlife in the UK has been alive and thriving for many years, so what’s contributing to its supposed downfall?

One in five clubs in the UK have closed since 2020, with 65 in total closing their doors last year according to figures from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA). 

NITA recently warned that “urgent intervention is needed” – with fears clubbing might become extinct by the end of the decade.

According to the NTIA, if the trajectory of nightclub closures continues at the same rate it is now, all nightclubs in the UK will have closed their doors by December 31st 2029.

While it’s clear that nightlife is changing, it may not necessarily be disappearing in Darlington. 

A council spokesperson told The Northern Echo that it has put in place a range of measures to support the nighttime economy. 

They said: “These include achieving Purple Flag status for the last five years, supporting businesses through our Love Darlo social media platform where they can offer promotions and events to a wide audience.

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“A strong and varied programme of events including Darlington Restaurant Week, and the Last Train Home Festival all help to increase visitor numbers across many town centre venues.

“ The development of the indoor market now offers a different dimension to the nighttime economy as will our plans for outdoor facilities such as Coniscliffe Road.

“Like many towns, Darlington has experienced a change in people’s attitudes and behaviour to the nighttime economy with many bars opening only Wednesday through to Sunday. This change is also reflected in the reduction in venues that offer late night drinking.”