New owner of Worthing nightclub outlines exciting plans for the future - with plans for celebrity guests and musical bingo nights

Jungle Nightclub, in Chatsworth Road, has been taken over by Brian Hearn, who has pledged ‘to do more with the venue’ and ‘also give the town more’.

He said: “There’s a lot going on in cities like Brighton and London. Cost of living is a big topic at the moment and it’s hard for people to go to these places.

"We want to do more and have more to offer in the local town. We want to be more than just your standard Friday / Saturday nightclub offering.”

Jungle is now hosting a brand new Coco Bingo event – a musical bingo game – once a month.

Managing director Brian said: “Our first public release was on April 8. It was a great event, with a fantastic host – a drag queen dressed as a teletubbie. It’s a really cool event.

"It offers a totally different experience from a normal nightclub. It is open earlier in the evening – our normal opening time is 10.30pm but doors will now open at 6.30. We don’t think Worthing offers anything like that.

“It’s a closed-door event. People can’t just wander in so it doesn’t get too crowded. Everyone has their own seat. It’s a comfortable, private party feel. There’s space for 120 guests.

"Our next bingo event is Sunday, May 7 – the bank holiday weekend for the Coronation. Tickets are on our website. The bingo is for everyone. We’ve had groups of lads, builders, groups of women and an elderly group came in.”

Jamie Sim, in the management team, said the ‘special bingo nights’ will incorporate a wider demographic, adding: “We are trying to be more community friendly.

"Our usual demographic is between 18 and 23. For the older people who don’t want to go out clubbing, this event puts them in that setting, where they can have that experience and something different to enjoy. It’s really good for hen parties, stag parties and birthday parties.

"A lot of people, including councillors, are saying Worthing is suffering especially with nightlife. It's so much cheaper to get into places in university towns.

“We are heading in a different and better direction, adding more live events. We are trying to give people a reason to come back to Worthing so they don’t have to travel to these big events. We are closer and less expensive.”

Jamie hinted that there could be celebrity meet and greets lined up, with big name DJs also planning to visit the venue.

He added: “We are still seeing the effects of Covid, with people not really going out as much. We’ve got to adapt to that.

"We want to turn this into a seven-day business, not just a nightclub.

"We can provide a yoga studio or a safe space for children to have a disco with their parents. It will be community based, with a ball pit which is perfect.

"We are bringing that community aspect back so everyone has got something to do. It’s what what we pride ourselves on. We want to use what we’ve got as a club.”

Brian said he bought out the previous board of directors, who have ‘left for other business opportunities’.

“I’ve taken the reins and I want to do so much more with it,” he said. “It’s got potential.

"We want to do more live music events – not bands but DJs and MCs, with different genres and music types. We’ve had a drum and bass night.

“Covid has knocked everyone’s confidence and changed everyone’s lifestyle. Then we’ve been hit by a massive cost of living crisis. It’s just a double-edged scored and a real battle.

"We really want to fill the venue up. You only need to look at what London offers. People want an experience.

"People just don’t want to go to the pub anymore. Times have changed. You’ve got your crazy golfs, beer pong, football, bowling, etc.

"We are not going to turn Jungle into that but we want to offer more than just to get drunk and dance. You can come and have fun.”

As well as a potential refit, there are also plans for a new bar at Jungle, creating ‘more jobs and more hours for the staff’, Brian said.

He added: “We are a full-time business that is open only two-nights a week – Friday and Saturday, 10.30 – 3am. We don’t get busy to 11, 11.30pm. We’ve got to do more and think outside the box.

"Back in the day, Worthing was busy Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Some Fridays now are not busy and it’s heartbreaking.

"We are doing so much with this place that we’ve never done before. We are introducing a whole new style of activities to the town, so people don’t have to commute.

“It’s about putting Worthing back on the map and bringing people to the town.”

Jamie said there’s a ‘stigma’ to nightclubs among the older generation ‘that we want to change’.

He added: “You can come here and have a fun time. People can come and see we are putting on things for different age groups and say it does actually work.

"Everybody in town gets a chance to get some business. It’s about keeping people in Worthing once they’re here and we are trying to bring people in from Littlehampton and Lancing, as a lot of them will go to Brighton.”

Visit Jungle Nightclub’s website to find out more.

Have you read?: New Worthing bakery to offer ‘ever-changing’ continental flavours from Madrid to Mumbai

More A27 closures announced as roundabout construction continues

West Sussex walk with photos and video to guide you: Clapham Wood circular with bluebells and glorious views