Canvas Bar & Nightclub seeks to extend opening hours

After the town’s biggest club Pryzm closed on New Year's Day, there has been a hole at the centre of its nightlife scene.

One venue looking to offer revellers an alternative is Canvas Bar & Nightclub, in The Parade, which is now looking to extend its opening hours on Fridays and Saturdays by an hour to keep the party going until 3.30pm.

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Canvas Bar & Nightclub. (Image: Canvas Bar & Nightclub.)

According to a licensing application document, the extension is “vital to accommodate the evolving needs and preferences of our clientele”.

Licensee Vikki Aitchison told the Watford Observer: “As a local business when the economy is down, we want to do what we can to meet the needs of the customers we are trying to serve.

Canvas Bar & Nightclub licensee Vikki Aitchison. (Image: Vikki Aitchison)

“We just want somewhere for people to come again.”

She added that younger customers tend not to come out until a lot later at night, and so usually want to stay out longer as well.

Canvas Bar & Nightclub. (Image: Canvas Bar & Nightclub.)

Changing drinking culture has also seen more people coming out earlier for brunch drinks, which has been "a great thing" for venue, but there is then a “lull” until business picks up again much later at night.

As well as extending its hours, Canvas is hoping to make more partygoers aware that there is still a late-night venue in The Parade so that they give it a try.

“When people do come in, they are like ‘OMG I wish I’d come here earlier’ and we do get those people returning,” the senior manager added.

The bar’s management appreciate that issues around crime and noise will come up when any night time venue seeks to extend its hours. However, they said that the level of crime relating to Canvas is very low and it already has measures in place to keep noise down.

It limits how many people can be in the smoking areas at once, does not allow outdoor drinking after midnight, and does not play any music outside.

Canvas has recently announced a one-night only old school reunion event bringing back the original DJs from favourite Watford nightclubs of the past in aid of The Paul Strickland Scanner Centre.

Canvas Bar & Nightclub. (Image: Canvas Bar & Nightclub.)