Excited revellers described the midnight reopening of nightclubs as “like New Year” as they queued up for their first night out dancing since the start of the pandemic.
Some said they had “missed the buzz” of being out while others admitted they were already bored of queueing and needed the toilet.
It comes as the remaining coronavirus restrictions were lifted in England on Monday, allowing venues such as nightclubs to finally welcome back patrons.
Outside Egg nightclub in north London clubbers queued for more than an hour and cheered as the clock struck midnight, following a countdown from 10.
Fundraiser Chloe Waite, 37, who was first in the queue, said the occasion was “something we’re going to remember for a long time.”