BRITS cheered and danced the night away as nightclubs finally flung open their doors from midnight to celebrate Freedom Day.
Freedom-hungry punters who had queued outside clubs for hours downed pints as they partied into the night.
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Punters packed nightclubs as they celebrated the reopening of venues Credit: NNP 28
Nightclubs heaved overnight as Brits hit the dancefloor Credit: PA 28
People queuing for the Viaduct Bar in Leeds to party at midnight last night Credit: PA 28
A clubber hits the dancefloor at The Piano Works in Farringdon, London Credit: AP
Revellers counted down the seconds until they could finally hit the dance-floor - grinning wildly in colourful outfits as they got inside.
July 19 marks Freedom Day - the day where social distancing, working from home and compulsory face masks are scrapped.
The reopening of the country's 12,000 nightclubs has been eagerly awaited by partygoers after dance-floors were shut more than a year and a half ago.
And by midnight, long queues had started to form outside venues with revellers keen to party away the memories of the past 18 months in lockdown.
It comes as:
'Freedom Day' sees an social distancing end and laws on masks scrapped Boris Johnson is under pressure to tackle the country's 'pingdemic' The PM made a u-turn after saying he wouldn't self-isolate NHS staff who are vaccinated can carry on working if they are 'pinged' Children will reportedly be offered the vaccine later this year
Hundreds of thousands of Brits who turned 18 during the pandemic flocked to packed clubs to get their first taste of nightlife.
Meanwhile, veteran nightclub-goers grinned as they were finally able to swap the couch and pyjamas for dance-floors and glad rags.
Excited clubbers queued up for more than an hour outside EGG nightclub in North London ahead of its reopening at midnight.
Nightclubber Chloe Waite, 37, said: "It's a bit like New Year isn't it? It's going to be a special night.
"Whether we'll have more of these in the future, who can say, I wouldn't like to speculate.
"For me this is something we're going to remember for a long, long time and we might not get the opportunity for a while."
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Clubbers inside FAC 51 nightclub in Manchester City Centre after midnight Credit: LNP 28
Revellers get back on the dancefloor at Powerhouse nightclub in Newcastle at the stroke of midnight Credit: NNP 28
Partygoers in London's The Piano Works toast the reopening of England's nightclubs Credit: AP 28
Revellers shouted 'Happy Freedom Day' as they posed for pictures and embraced friends queuing to get into Players Nightclub in Birmingham Credit: SnapperSK 28
Revellers boogied as venues reopened Credit: LNP 28
Hungry clubbers headed for a kebab after a night of dancing Credit: NNP 28
Pals hit the dance floor as the clock struck midnight Credit: NNP 28
Brits cheered as they were finally allowed inside Credit: JOHN MATHER/IMAGEVIEW 28
Brits dressed to the nines to celebrate the reopening Credit: JOHN MATHER/IMAGEVIEW 28
Brits said it felt like New Year's Eve to head out and party Credit: NNP 28
Confetti fell from the ceiling to celebrate the reopening Credit: NNP 28
Friends pose outside the nightclub as they wait for it to reopen Credit: NNP 28
Dancefloors were packed at midnight Credit: NNP 28
Nightclubs were finally filled after months of having their doors shut Credit: NNP 28
Brits danced the night away Credit: NNP 28
One reveller beams as he dances on the dance floor Credit: NNP 28
Lines snaked around the clubs Credit: JOHN MATHER/IMAGEVIEW 28
Brits have been waiting to get into clubs for months Credit: The Sun
Clubs around the country reopened at midnight last night as the Great British night out made a roaring return.
Newcastle's Powerhouse nightclub was one of several venues that hosted midnight "freedom" parties as restrictions ended, along with G-Bar in Liverpool and Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall's South Shields nightclub, Industry.
Demand was so high for parties in the early hours some clubs were forced to make events ticketed - with many almost sold out before they opened.
Gabriel Wildsmith, 26, a video producer from London, said he had been waiting for an hour to get into EGG.
It's a bit like New Year isn't it? It's going to be a special night
Clubber in North London
"I'm so excited I've been waiting for this for so long... basically since we locked down," he said.
"I love going to clubs and I love meeting random people.You make great friends and you couldn't do that until tonight."
In Leeds, clubbers queued to enter Bar Fibre and partied at the stroke of midnight.
Bar owner Terry George said: "It feels so special. People are treating it like a very special occasion.
"Finally, we're going to be able to dance. That's the biggest thing, which is kind of a little bit sad really, because we're given back something that's our given right, to be able to dance in a bar, in a club."
Lorna Feeney, 44, of Leeds, said: "I'm absolutely ecstatic. That's my life, my soul - I love dancing. It bonds me, it's amazing, it makes me feel so good.
"It's about listening to the music and really feeling it, having a dance and not having to worry about anything that's going on - not sitting on your chair and getting fat."
The one-metre-plus social distancing rule being scrapped is a huge boost for the hospitality industry.
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Massive queues were seen before midnight Credit: The Sun 28
Clubs said 'dancing is essential' as they were finally allowed to open their doors Credit: NNP 28
Oh what a night! Friends grin as they finally head out Credit: NNP 28
Friends happily pose for a picture to celebrate Freedom Day Credit: PA 28
Friends yell with excitement at finally getting to dance in a club Credit: PA
There will be no limits on how many people can meet socially, or where they can meet.
Punters are finally be allowed to mingle and stand once again, while ordering from the bar is also permitted again.
It comes as a huge boost to the hospitality industry, which has struggled to make a profit with limited capacity allowed indoors due to social distancing regulations.
And Brits will no longer need to check in to venues by scanning a QR code using the Test and Trace app.
However, Boris Johnson has begged the public for a "cautious" end to lockdown tomorrow amid the "extremely contagious Delta variant."
He said: "We've got to do it cautiously. We've got to remember that this virus is sadly still out there.
"Cases are rising, we can see the extreme contagiousness of the Delta variant.
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"But we have this immense satisfaction that the vaccine programme has very severely weakened the link between infection and hospitalisation, and between infection and serious illness and death.
"So please, please, please be cautious and go forward tomorrow into the next step with all the right prudence and respect for other people.
"And above all, please, please, please, when you're asked to get that second jab, get the jab, please come forward and do it."
A cleaner vacuums the dancefloor ahead of the venue's grand reopening 28
Members of staff at The Piano Works club in Farringdon, London, getting ready Credit: AP
Inside Pryzm nightclub as we take a look at what clubbing will be like after July 19