Strip clubs are dying out – and experts blame OnlyFans.
Only 103 premises still exist in England, Scotland and Wales, figures suggest. This is down from around 155 in 2022.
Nick Ede, one of the UK’s most esteemed experts on popular culture, told MailOnline: ‘OnlyFans has totally killed the strip club.
‘People are now tipping sex workers and strippers using their phones, rather than slipping a 10 pound note in a thong.
‘It’s also a clear generational thing, too. Strip clubs were seen as sleazy venues, now they are seen as old and out of touch with today’s lifestyles.’
The statistics, obtained by MailOnline under Freedom of Information laws, also show how standalone sex shops are vanishing.
Just 42 now exist, compared to 104 in 2010.
Mr Ede added: ‘Sex shops will soon die a death because people purchase them from online shops which package and post them discreetly.’
Only 103 strip clubs still exist in England, Scotland and Wales, figures suggest – this is down from around 155 in 2022
‘OnlyFans has totally killed the strip club. People are now tipping sex workers and strippers using their phones, rather than slipping a 10 pound note in a thong,’ a popular culture expert told MailOnline
MailOnline sent FOI requests to all 350 local authorities responsible for issuing sexual establishment licences in England, Scotland and Wales.
Under current laws, all sex premises – including pole dancing venues and standalone shops selling sex toys and paraphernalia – have to apply for new operating licences (SEV) each year.
Applications can cost businesses up to £10,000, although fees vary wildly across the country.
Campaigners fighting to keep the sex worker industry alive say the rules have given council bosses ‘much greater powers over whether to keep them open’.
In total, 184 councils have taken no SEV applications at all since 2010 – when the new rules came into play.
The amendment was proposed and passed after a series of objections from local councils to the formation of new or operation of existing strip clubs on the grounds of the impact on the community.
Edinburgh, Swansea and Exeter councils have even introduced ‘nil cap’ orders, which effectively ban new sex venues from opening.
Only 50 strip clubs that were licensed in 2010 remain open today.
A 2021 YouGov poll suggests that only a quarter of men would support banning strip clubs outright, with the figure reaching over 40 per cent for women
Birmingham is the strip club capital of the country, with 21 active establishments.
Liverpool (10), Newcastle Upon Tyne (10) and Manchester (8) follow behind.
Meanwhile, Cardiff, Birmingham and Wolverhampton all lay claim to having the most sex shops, with four apiece.
Experts believe the erosion of strip clubs and sex shops reflects the overall trend of British nightlife.
Around a quarter of UK adults are thought to be teetotal, jumping to over a third of Gen Z, meaning less punters are likely to cross the strip club thresholds after a night out on the town.
A 2021 YouGov poll suggests that only a quarter of men would support banning strip clubs outright, with the figure reaching over 40 per cent for women.
And earlier research from the pollster shows that the majority of people in Britain think it is acceptable for a person in a relationship to go to a strip club on a stag or hen do.
But the advent of OnlyFans has reshaped how some young people engage with sexual content, some experts believe.
Under current laws, all sex premises – including pole dancing venues and standalone shops selling sex toys and paraphernalia – have to apply for new operating licences (SEV) each year
Data from Ipsos Iris show that in January, 4.4 per cent of the British population – or 2.2m people – visited the site. This was up 64 per cent in a year.
Audrey Jones, a campaigner for DecrimNow – the unofficial union for sex workers, disagreed with Mr Ede. She said: ‘I don’t think OnlyFans has made an impact at all.
‘This trend (the decline of strip clubs) was happening way before OnlyFans was a thing.
‘They work in different markets and big groups of lads on stag dos… don’t go on OnlyFans.’
Proliferation of free online porn and cheap subscriptions to creators on OnlyFans does present a cheaper alternative to real life encounters in strip clubs.
Ms Jones told MailOnline: ‘Strippers are some of the first to talk about when a recession is coming because their customer base is the first thing to go.’
Venues don’t require SEV licenses if sexual entertainment takes place less than once a month.
Sixteen councils didn’t respond to our FOI request. Others refused to supply figures.
High Street stores such as Anne Summers and Agent Provocateur weren’t included in the analysis because they don’t need licences to operate.
