“The Price of a Night Out Has Reached Its Limit”: NTIA Issues Budget Warning as Consumer Spending Rises 34% The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has warned the Chancellor that consumers have reached an affordability ceiling, as new CGA by NIQ research reveals spending on nights out has risen 34% since 2020.** Average spending per head in pubs, bars and restaurants has increased from £20.95 in 2020 to £28.06 in 2026. However, growth has slowed sharply to just 2.1% over the past year, while London spending has effectively plateaued. The NTIA warns that rising expenditure does not signal greater prosperity but reflects escalating operating costs, including employment, energy, taxation and business rates, increasingly passed on to consumers. Michael Kill, CEO of NTIA, said: “This Budget comes at a defining moment for British nightlife. Businesses cannot afford to absorb further costs, while customers cannot afford to keep paying more. “The consumer cannot be the industry's financial shock absorber indefinitely. “Consumers have reached their ceiling. Operators have reached theirs. The Chancellor must recognise that the sector has nowhere left to pass the pressure.” The NTIA is urging meaningful action on business rates, employment costs and taxation to prevent further venue closures and protect the accessibility of nightlife. Without intervention, the association warns that rising costs threaten businesses, jobs, cultural spaces and the vitality of towns and cities nationwide. **The message is clear: nightlife cannot remain sustainable if consumers and operators are pushed beyond their financial limits.**