More than nine in ten women over 40 who attend clubbing events report wellbeing benefits, a survey by University of Leeds researchers has found
The results of an online survey, published in the peer-reviewed journal Psychology of Music, asked 136 women over 40 about their experiences at electronic dance music (EDM) events.
The nighttime industry needs to respond to the fact that older people want to participate in mainstream clubbing culture, and not exclude them from these spaces
Nine in ten respondents (91%) said clubbing contributes positively to their wellbeing, with more than six in ten agreeing they go clubbing to escape the realities of life. The researchers say club nights should be open and inclusive to all, so these benefits can be shared.
Alinka Greasley, study co-author and Professor of Music Psychology at Leeds’ School of Music, said: “Our research showed that older women’s top three reasons for attending club nights were the music itself, friendships and a sense of community. These motivations are similar to those reported by younger age groups.
“What does change between different age groups is the challenges older women face. In the survey, women talked about their sense of belonging in EDM spaces, dressing down to avoid attracting attention to themselves, and some concerns around safety. However, participants reported adopting strategies to navigate their experiences to make sure they could enjoy their night – balancing the tiredness the next day with the energising effect that going out dancing gives them.”
Therapeutic experiences
Participants said attendance at electronic dance music events is a form of ‘therapy’ which keeps them physically active, releases stress and tension, improves mental health and helps them feel part of a community.
Although only 7.3% reported experiencing negative comments about their age from others, around one in five (21%) felt they should not participate in EDM because of their age and agreed they felt conspicuous at club nights because of being older.
<a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/performance/staff/386/professor-alice-o-grady” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>Alice O’Grady, study co-author and Professor of Applied Performance at Leeds’ School of Performance of Cultural Industries, added: “We’re seeing the rise of day raves and retro nights, but older people don’t just want to hark back to the past. They want to participate in a culture where there’s new music and innovation. The nighttime industry needs to respond to the fact that older people want to participate in mainstream clubbing culture, and not exclude them from these spaces.”
Inclusive clubbing
More than seven in ten participants (73.9%) agreed they felt safe when attending EDM events. Although more than one in four (28.3%) agreed they received unwanted attention at club nights, only a small percentage (3.7%) reported feeling unsafe.
Suzy Mason, club culture archivist, promoter and co-founder of the first inclusive safe club spaces in Leeds in the 90s, Vague and Speedqueen, said: “Inclusive clubbing across generations is so important because on the dancefloor, it’s the one place where we all feel like we can be ourselves, listen to music, and not feel like we’re being judged or criticised. For older women, we spend a lot of time being judged or criticised, whether that’s externally or internally. We should all support and encourage clubbing for all ages because we’re all going to get older.”
The survey was conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic, so the research also looked at the impacts of not being able to go out dancing. According to the results, alongside a decrease in physical activity, the most common consequence of not being able to dance were depression and loss of identity. This highlights the centrality of attending EDM events to these women’s lives, their sense of self, and general feelings of wellbeing.
Looking ahead, the researchers say more work is needed to understand how intersectionality of not just age and gender but ethnicity, class, and sexuality impacts people’s participation in clubbing. They also hope to collaborate with venue owners, club promoters and DJs in Leeds to investigate how barriers to participation can be tackled to ensure clubbing is open to all.
Further information
Top image: Speedqueen, Leeds (from the Love Conquers Clubland archive). Courtesy of Suzy Mason
Age is just a number: Persistent participation in Electronic Dance Music by women over 40 by Alinka Greasley, Alice O’Grady, and postgraduate researcher Shauna E Stapleton, was published in Psychology of Music in 2025.
There were no external funders for this research.
For media enquiries, please contact Mia Saunders in the University of Leeds press office by email on m.saunders@leeds.ac.uk
