A new nightclub is opening this week with a strict rule that your smartphone camera must be covered with a sticker. Amber’s in Manchester is the latest in a handful of venues in the UK to enforce the policy – but in cities like Berlin, renowned for its nightclubs, it’s the norm.
The club made the decision because “we really want the music and the experience to be front and centre”, but the issue is being debated on social media. Some posted concerns that clubs could suffer as social media videos of their night act as free adverts, while others welcomed the move as “partying with privacy”.
Sacha Lord, night time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, thinks the policy could be a “shot in the arm” for the industry and “bring back the energy to the dancefloor”. DJ Smokin Jo wants to see more dancing and fewer smartphones when she’s DJing.
At Amber’s, phones are not banned outright but clubbers will be required to put a sticker over the camera lens to prevent photos being taken. A content team will be on hand to take and post photos online instead. People violating the rule will be “politely asked to stop”, says Jeremy Abbott, director of Amber’s. “If you are seen doing it again, you will be asked to leave the venue.”
The rule comes at a tricky time for Britain’s nightclub scene, which has struggled to recover from the numerous Covid lockdowns. Between June 2020 and June this year, the number of clubs has fallen from 1,266 to 786, according to figures from the Night Time Industries Association and research firm NeilsenIQ.
Source link
