A monotonous complaint about London nightlife is its lack of accessibility. Gone are the days of declaring you want to go out at 7pm on a weekend, gathering a few free friends over the next hour, and finding an affordable event that runs in respect of your money and time. If not paying through the nose, scrambling for event tickets with the same anxieties as waiting in an online queue for a concert, it is hard to really go outside and have a great, unplanned night. It is for such a cause that an event like Flavours—curated by Wingstop UK—exists.
Costing just £1 to get in, Flavours is an affordable night packed with intergenerational performance, equipping attendees with a wristband containing free drinks, free Wingstop food, and a spread of cash prizes to be won. In its second year, Flavours follows on from its first—both aiming to capture the zeitgeist of community during a cost-of-living crisis, a nightlife scene on the edge of affordability, and a lack of spaces for people to commune without the division of clique-ridden entry points.
Fewer events mean fewer opportunities to kick it with your crew. The scene is fruitful, yet disjointed. Going out can be an expensive, tiresome task. In contrast to those inaccessible or overly expensive events, Flavours simply asks its attendees to have fun and join in on the festivities. The most recent event, on December 12, took place at Village Underground—one of the last longstanding independent venues in East London, serving as a space dedicated to keeping music and nightlife culture alive.
The acts on this night covered a multitude of genres—specifically in adoration of the last decade of youthful Black British music—showing how important intergenerational events really are. Grime legends D Double E, Frisco and Scorcher set the stage for the new gen of grime through the likes of Kibo, JayHadADream, Pozzy and more. Kenny Allstar’s set was a throwback through UK rap and drill, calling on Liverpool’s Kaast 8 and South London’s Pozer—two rising stars of the moment—to hype up the crowd even more. Darkoo’s performance sat between sets that traversed a world of music that this community loves, which speaks to the volume of sounds our melting pot of culture engages with. Afrobeats, Afroswing, Afro-house, dancehall, hip-hop and R&B all worked swimmingly into sets that engaged a youthful crowd.
The night represented more than an event—it was an example of how brands can meaningfully contribute to culture rather than simply sponsor it. “For Wingstop, Flavours is part of a long-standing commitment to UK culture,” says Dirujan Sabesan, Wingstop UK’s CMO. “Not a one-off moment, but an ongoing investment in community and creative spaces. At a time when nightlife feels increasingly inaccessible, we believe brands have a responsibility to contribute meaningfully. Flavours reflects our role in culture: creating space for community, music and creativity, and continuing a commitment to UK talent we’ve held for over seven years. Real-life experiences like this will remain a key way we stay connected to our audience in the years ahead, beyond just our core offering.”
In all, Flavours on December 12 was a great event that showed the potency of the scene during these pressing times. While London nightlife's affordability and accessibility are being hampered by societal and governmental constraints, a space like this offers young people a space to enjoy the culture they grew up on. It represents collaboration, goes a step further beyond sponsorship, and seeks to bridge gaps of necessity.