The hospitality industry has tried everything to keep its doors open, from karaoke and darts to shuffleboard and quiz nights. But could academia be the key to keeping our pubs afloat?
When Jenny Okolo started her London-based lecture series, she never anticipated how popular it would become, and how fast.
A psychiatric occupational therapist who’s worked in mental health for around seven years, Okolo started Mind Circles Talks to give people the opportunity to learn more about their mind and wellbeing. Now, instead of starting her mornings with social media scrolls and check-ins with loved ones, she wakes up to her events selling out online.
“I mean it when I say people buy tickets when I’m sleeping,” she explained. “I wake up and the event is either sold out or is nearly sold out. It’s definitely a learning curve for me. I’m very excited.”
A lecture event series that couples mental health with the expertise of trusted professionals, Mind Circles’ ‘Sip n’ Learn’ takes the prestigious academic findings of university out of inaccessible lecture halls and straight into the heart of a cosy London pub or bar.
Kicking off only a few months ago in March, the event quickly gained traction on social media, garnering TikTok views that range from 17.7K on one post to 93.3K on another.
“How do you explain to someone that the idea of going to a bar to listen to an expert give a lecture on how your mind works is actually your idea of a fun night out?” one reel asks.
“Comment ‘LEARN’ and we’ll send you the ticket link,” states another. The post has 4,031 likes, 2,020 saves and 391 replies – all asking for the link to be shared.
Elsewhere, viral London lecture event Pints of Knowledge is filling up venues on nights where they otherwise would be empty. “Look at this place,” Event Host and Community Manager Maddie Winchester said as she gestured to the trendy interiors of Camden Town Brewery Beer Hall.
“On a typical Monday or Tuesday night, they’d maybe have a couple of tables filled. Yet we’ve managed to sell out two talks. That’s 200 attendees. 200 people that wouldn’t have walked through the doors.”
Pints of Knowledge was founded by Callum Campbell around 11 months ago after he decided to combine his love of university-level learning with his fondness for going to the pub.
The popular lecture series also invites experts to share their research with curious attendees armed with pints, and diverse topics include the future of the novel, private equity and artificial intelligence.
Pints of Knowledge is also a social media success. Its TikTok page has 11.4K followers, and post views regularly reach the 24K mark, with a recent post hitting 113K views. Initially, the events only managed to sell around a third of their tickets. Now they sell out every talk, with waitlists already forming for lectures a month in advance.
The success of these two events comes at a time when pubs are facing a bleak future. According to The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), 161 pubs closed in the first three months of 2026 across England, Scotland and Wales. The regions in England that suffered the most were London and the South East (0.5% closures), with the East of England following closely behind (0.4% closures).
Pubs closing up shop is nothing new; in 2025, it was reported that 366 public houses shut down over the course of the year.
The government’s 15% tax relief plan for pubs – set amid backlash to the November budget’s plan to increase business rates – aims to provide support. But, in an online statement, BBPA CEO Emma McClarkin said that a “long-term plan” is needed to deliver “permanently lower bills, a fairer system and ultimately protect this treasured sector”.
But with reduced consumer spending, rising labour costs, and increasing fuel and energy prices due to the Iran war, it doesn’t look like the pressure on pubs will be letting up anytime soon.
“In terms of financially keeping the pubs afloat, I hope I’m making a bit of a contribution,” Okolo said. Mind Circles’ attendees vary across all ages; some people come alone, with friends after work and even on dates. Okolo believes that events like Mind Circles can help the hospitality industry by bringing in new customers while catering to those who may not be frequent pub-goers, such as non-drinkers.
So why are these lecture-style pub events becoming so popular in the first place? “I think people are yearning for more,” Okolo said.
Having originally started the series in the halls of King’s College London, Okolo believes the pub setting only adds to Mind Circles’ appeal. She partnered with The Devereux Pub as she was eager for people to experience the lectures in a “non-traditional way”, and instantly noticed a switch in atmosphere. “It just felt more relaxed,” she said. “And for those who don’t drink, it’s taking away that focus – it feels much more inclusive.”
For Winchester, it’s the casual combination of having a pint whilst learning that makes a Pints of Knowledge ticket so desirable, and the feeling of accessibility that this brings. “It’s also having something to do on a weeknight that isn’t scrolling or spending loads of money,” she explained.
It seems that venues are taking notice of this popular niche. Mind Circles’ newest partner, Big Chill bar in King’s Cross, actually contacted Okolo to offer their services first. “When we discovered Mind Circles, reaching out just felt like the natural next step,” Adélaïde, Big Chill Events and Sales Manager, said.
“We’ve always had our ears to the ground. Events like Mind Circles are exactly what we live for. They bring brilliant new energy and brilliant new people, reminding us why we do this.”
Perhaps the reason why these events are resonating so much with Londoners right now is indicative of something more.
A recent survey found that one in four adults don’t drink alcohol, and it’s frequently reported that young people are swapping nights out drinking for run clubs, health kicks and phone addictions. On social media, productivity appears to be at the forefront of the algorithm: your five-to-nine routine after your nine-to-five, and ‘lifemaxxing’ – a viral dedication to reaching your utmost potential.
The public’s attitudes towards drinking are changing, and London’s nightlife along with it. Paired with the price of a pint recently passing the £10 mark, it looks like alcohol-fuelled pub nights may be moving further down people’s to-do lists, contributing to the hospitality industry’s already dwindling flame.
Could events like Mind Circles and Pints of Knowledge be the sweet spot that ticks all the boxes, allowing both the hospitality industry and eager-to-optimise pub-goers to thrive?
Winchester seems to think so. She says that events like Pints of Knowledge add the value to a night out that young people are looking for. “Social media is constantly in our faces, especially with all the brain rot content and all the absolute rubbish on my Instagram feed. [People] want to get away from that and actually learn something useful…so I think it’s a really unique blend of being able to be social but carve out a really meaningful time to build connection.”
The figures speak for themselves. The ONS recently reported that more than a third of young people aged 18-24 visit pubs specifically for organised activities such as live music and quizzes.
If the hospitality industry is going to survive, it’s going to have to continue to adapt. Perhaps it’s time to swap fruit machines and bar stools for PowerPoints and lecterns after all.
Featured image credit: Katie Hall
Join the discussion