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UK nightclub branded the ‘worst in Europe’ closes its doors for the final time after 50 years
Local students and even a former PM advisor have paid the tributes as the university town loses a beloved nightlife spot
A UK NIGHTCLUB once branded "the worst in Europe" has closed its doors for the final time after more than four decades.
Klute, well-known for its sticky dance floors, and cheesy music reportedly shut on April 20 without any public notice.
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Located in Durham, Klute gained popularity thanks to its "Sunday Night Klute" service and distinctive quaddie drink when it originally opened in 1971.
The nightclub was formerly ranked by FHM Magazine as the "second worst in Europe," but it automatically took the top spot when the worst one burned down.
Before Tokyo Industries bought Klute in 2013, Dominic Cummings' uncle controlled the team, which likewise gained notoriety.
Klute's general manager at the time of its demise, Dillon Blevins, confirmed the club's closure.
He said: “As a former student of Durham University from 2017, I experienced Klute in its element firsthand. At no point was Klute the worst nightclub in Europe: Klute wasn’t even the worst nightclub in Durham.
“From what I have seen from the frontline of the Durham night out, I believe that while Klute’s closure isn’t solely due to changing student [club] preferences, it’s clear that the way we spend our leisure time and our money has completely shifted.”
Dillion added that “This isn’t just about one venue; it’s indicative of broader changes in student culture”, suggesting that nightclub culture as a whole is on the decline.
It is not yet clear whether the closure is only temporary or permanent, Palatinate reports.
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Cummings, who once worked collecting money on the door, paid his tribute to Klute today.
Boris Johnson's former advisor wrote on X: "Farewell Klute, the best nightclub outside Moscow, after working there dealing with SW1 felt like easy mode.
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"Few know my dad and uncles named it after watching the classic 70s film, watch it if you never have (Maybe The Startup Party should buy the building for our northern HQ...)."
Students at Durham University, both past and present, were shocked to learn of Klute's closure.
Sebastian Payne, director of the Onward Think Tank, expressed his sadness that upcoming university students would not be able to have the "Klute experience."
He told the Mirror: "Klute was a quintessential part of every Durham student's experience, for better and worse.
"It's everything people said: small, sweaty, stinky, chocked full of cheesy music and annoying people.
"It was also terrific fun and unlike any other nightclub - not least by ending every single evening with the exact same combo of Summer of '69 and That's Amore."
Annie Collier, a Durham student who also worked at the nightclub, added: "[The staff] all got on really well and it was such a fun experience working there, which makes it quite sad that it's all gone, as well as the great nights that were spent there when we weren't working too."
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