London’s nightlife performers earn an average of £12,411 a year from performing work after expenses, while 98% say their pay has not kept up with the cost of living. Nearly a third also say that rising transphobia, misogyny, homophobia, racism or far-right sentiment has made them feel less safe, due to audience aggression and when travelling to and from gigs.
These findings come from a survey conducted by Equity of gigging nightlife performers working in London. Respondents work across cabaret, burlesque, fire performance, circus, aerial, drag, club and pub singing, comedy, DJing, pole, tribute acts and more. They perform at private events, clubs, pubs, bars, festivals, venue residencies and other settings across the capital.
The findings are being published ahead of the launch of Equity’s new London Nightlife Network later today, Tuesday 31 March, at Underbelly Boulevard Soho, with a panel discussion featuring London nightlife performers. The Network will bring together Equity members working in nightlife so they can organise collectively to improve pay and conditions.
London’s nightlife culture is world-famous, but it’s being built on the backs of performers who are earning a fraction of a living wage.
Nick Keegan, Equity Variety Organiser
That will include lobbying the independent Nightlife Commission recently announced by the Mayor of London, as well as campaigning on wider issues affecting the sector. Equity is also engaging with the Greater London Authority over the lack of workforce representation on its recent Nightlife Taskforce, which was made up almost entirely of industry bosses. The union says that absence of worker voice is reflected in gaps in the Taskforce report, published on 21 January, particularly around workforce safety, pay and precarity.
Full findings of the survey can be found here.
Commenting on the results of Equity’s survey of London nightlife performers, Nick Keegan, Equity Variety Organiser, said:
"London’s nightlife culture is world-famous, but it’s being built on the backs of performers who are earning a fraction of a living wage. It is a disgrace that 98% of performers responding to our workforce survey say their pay is stagnating, while they worry about their safety. Which is why Equity members are launching the London Nightlife Network, because performers care deeply about London’s nightlife and know that by coming together they can raise the standards of the industry for all.”
