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:

• The Netherlands saw a 38% dip in its number of discos between 2001 and 2011.
• The number of British discos plummeted to 1,733 today from 3,144 in 2005, and spending in clubs has decreased 500 million euros ($551 million at current exchange) in the same period.
• In Italy, the number of discos has halved to 2,500 today from about 5,000 in 2005.
• The one shining spot is Berlin, Germany, which has remained relatively stable at 350 dance clubs. But even in the German capital overall earnings have declined.