With 'Freedom Day' just around the corner, nightclubs in Norwich's Prince of Wales Road are gearing up to reopen at full capacity after 16 months.
The government has confirmed the end of legal restrictions on social contact from Monday, July 19 and nightclubs and bars in the city's clubland are wasting no time.
Monday night will be the new Friday night next week, with parties planned all the way down Prince of Wales Road.
One of these venues is LGBTQ+ nightclub Fetch, which has been back open since last August with customers sitting down, where there will be a Summer Party from 9pm until 4am.
Clubbers can expect inflatables, summer cocktails and confetti cannons, with table service and masks no longer mandatory.
Levi Solomon, general manager, said: "It will be the biggest night of the year as everyone has been locked down for a year-and-a-half and sitting down isn't the same.
"I'm excited but also nervous as I haven't run a nightclub since last March, but I am just looking forward to seeing people and to see some happiness."
Mantra and its upstairs cocktail bar Truth, which opened during lockdown, are both also opening on Monday from 9pm until 4am with a White Party and a special guest DJ.
Bar&Beyond will be opening at full capacity on July 19 and will be welcoming people back on its dancefloor from 10pm until 3am.
Laurie Howard, Bar&Beyond’s venue manager, said: “We can’t wait for our Bar&Beyond Unlocked event on July 19.
"We’re going all out with stilt walkers and fire breathers to create a real sense of occasion."
Bar&Beyond boss Peter Marks, who is chief executive of REKOM UK which runs 42 nightclubs, said his venues were reopening "at full capacity and without any requirement for a negative Covid test".
He said it would "create a barrier to both customer enjoyment and getting the industry back on its feet".
Popworld, which plays classic pop tunes, will also be reopening on Monday and opening from 9pm until 3am.
Our Summer in the City campaign encourages people to get out and about in Norwich this summer, and to make the most of its shops, pubs and restaurants and events.
Summer in the City is sponsored by Chantry Place and Norwich Business Improvement District (BID).
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