Discotheques, two billion revenues for the sector. Abuse emergency
Investments focus on tourism hotspots such as Romagna and Salento
Due miliardi di euro. È il valore del business per le circa 2mila discoteche italiane nel 2024, anno in cui c’è stato un leggero aumento degli incassi a circa 500 milioni contro i 490 dell’anno precedente mentre l’indotto, soprattutto grazie alla voce “cibo e bevande” ha messo a segno un +10% a 1,5 miliardi. Le presenze sono state oltre 34 milioni per più di 200mila spettacoli, segnali di una ripresina per un settore che conta 2.500 locali da ballo con oltre 50mila addetti diretti. Questi i numeri che Maurizio Pasca, presidente Silb-Fipe, oggi presenterà a Firenze durante il convegno «Nightlife evolution – Italia & Ibiza: il futuro dell’entertainment». Il settore oltre 10 anni fa aveva un fatturato di 850 milioni e, come allora, continua a soffrire per la concorrenza di bar, ristoranti, stabilimenti balneari, festival e club che organizzano serate con spazi per ballare.
"Today's discos are going through a very difficult time, not so much because of a lack of public or interest in dancing, but because of unfair competition coming from all directions,' Pasca denounces. 'Many establishments organise dance evenings without possessing the necessary licences and authorisations. It is a real phenomenon of squatting that is bringing an entire sector to its knees and, above all, undermining the safety of the nightlife'.
Post Covid, the sector has restarted and in recent times investments have been made by entrepreneurs such as Giuseppe Cipriani, Arrigo's son, owner, together with other partners, of Space in Riccione, Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio with Twiga, not forgetting Giorgio Armani who had set his sights on the Capannina in Forte dei Marmi. Other entrepreneurs are aiming to create dance spaces in the tourist hotspots of Romagna and Salento. Discos are an added value for tourism,' continues Silb's president, 'but there are all kinds of activities that 'make discos' without meeting legal requirements, eroding the clientele base of those who instead comply with all the regulations. It is a problem of legality and safety.
For Pasca, this situation stems from the deregulation brought in by the Bersani decree: "They have paved the way for this confusion of regulations, eliminating instruments that served to distinguish the various activities and to ensure more rigorous controls," he continues, "It is time to put things in order, to recognise the value of discos as places where young people can have fun in a healthy and responsible manner. The point is that no one checks whether these places comply with the authorisations, whether they have the required safety measures, emergency exits, decibel controls, personnel trained in crowd management and health safety. And so potentially dangerous situations are created, where fun becomes a risk
"Discotheques, on the other hand, are the only places that are created, designed and regulated for safe dancing. Every detail - from the sound system to the capacity, from fire extinguishers to escape routes - is checked and certified. We represent a model of safe, transparent and professional entertainment. But if there are no effective controls and the same rules for everyone, those who work within the law end up penalised,' the president concludes.
