Across Europe, discotheques have lost their groove. Italian daily La Repubblica dedicates a four-part special series to the decline of discos and night clubs across the Old Continent over the past decade. Citing interviews with club owners and others in the entertainment business, La Repubblica attributes the floundering dance club scene to a variety of factors, including competition from locations operating without permits; high taxes levied on clubs; difficulties in landing big-name performers; and the steep costs associated with boosting security.

Some of the report's findings: