Nightclubs Elated, but Doubts Cloud England’s ‘Freedom Day’

Nightclubs Elated, but Doubts Cloud England’s ‘Freedom Day’
The Piano Works club in Farringdon, London, on July 16, 2021. Alberto Pezzali/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:

LONDON—Sparkling wine, confetti, a midnight countdown: It’s not New Year’s Eve, but it might as well be for England’s clubbers. After 17 months of empty dance floors, the country’s nightclubs are reopening with a bang.

From London to Liverpool, thousands of young people plan to dance the night away at “Freedom Day” parties the moment it becomes Monday, which is when almost all coronavirus restrictions in England are due to be scrapped. Masks will no longer be legally required, and with social distancing rules shelved, there will be no more limits on people attending theatre performances or big events.