How the closure of an Olten venue reflects a wider demise of Swiss clubbing

Pulling the plug: more and more clubs like Terminus are disappearing. SRF

The Terminus club in Olten is closing. It is a symptom of an industry in crisis, as young people in Switzerland increasingly avoid discos and nightclubs.

Loud music, dancing crowds and drinks at the bar: people still party at Terminus in Olten, canton Solothurn. But the club will soon close. Despite a loyal fan base of over-40-year-olds, the last party will take place at Easter. After 31 years, it’s over.

The problem: young people are missing. Instead of going to the disco, many prefer to spend weekends at home or in the gym. Those who party in clubs today are no longer 20, but closer to 50.

For many, Terminus is part of life. “This is my living room. I’ve been coming here every two to three months for 25 years – more often in the past,” says Andrea Hochuli. Hanspeter Zeller adds: “I’ve spent a lot of time here and got to know many good people.” But today, Terminus has only a third of the visitors it once had.

Event as a photo backdrop

The decline in visitors is reflected in the number of clubs and discos in Switzerland. From 2013 to 2023, around half disappeared; The number fell from 466 to 249, according to federal statistics.

For Terminus co-owner Dušan Nedeljković, the reason is clear. “The club concept has fallen out of fashion,” he says. Social media plays a key role. A club which is always in the same place with the same people is not a suitable backdrop for an Instagram story. Fewer people live in – and enjoy – the moment, he says.

Killed by social media? For the co-owner of Terminus, the very idea of a disco is a thing of the past. SRF

“You no longer go to an event to have fun. It’s now a backdrop for documenting the experience on your mobile phone,” Nedeljković says. For him, there is little future for the concept in a small place like Olten.

Closure symbolises wider trend

What Nedeljković observes in Olten is echoed elsewhere, says Alexander Bücheli, spokesman for the Swiss Bar and Club Commission. The best times for clubs are long gone. “In the 1990s, you could install four speakers, write ‘techno’ on the door – and the place was running,” he says.

Challenges have grown over the past 15 years. The disappearance of Terminus is a loss for the wider region, but also symbolic of the state of Swiss club culture generally, Bücheli says.

The Terminus closure is emblematic, says Alexander Bücheli. SRF

There are several reasons for this. One is the healthier lifestyle of younger generations. They drink less alcohol – if they go to clubs at all. “That has a direct impact on per capita sales. You can’t replace it with non-alcoholic alternatives.”

With alcohol, guests are more likely to order another drink. “With small margins, volume determines whether a venue is financially viable,” says Bücheli, who cites Zurich as an example – there, club turnover has fallen by 40% within five years.

The pandemic also led many young people to discover alternatives to clubs: meeting at home, going to the gym at night, hiking or having brunch on Sunday. Sport and partying rarely go together.

‘Dancing is a primal human need’

Despite this, Bücheli remains optimistic. “The analogue experience of going to a club in an increasingly digitalised society is an attractive alternative,” he says.

Despite the downturn, clubs with music and dancing aren’t set to disappear completely. SRF

Nedeljković is less optimistic. The Swiss scene still faces difficult times, he says. “It will concentrate on the big cities.” But he believes clubs will not disappear entirely. “Dancing is a basic human need.”

Translated from German using AI/amva/dos

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