A Sky News investigationsays the number of illegal music events in Britain is rising. Police forces from England and Wales filed 680 reports of illegal parties in 2017, up nine percent (628) from the previous year. The figures reflect reportsfrom earlier this year, which found that illegal raves in London had nearly doubled between 2016 and 2017, from 70 to 133.

The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) considers these illegal raves "inherently unsafe," citing crime, destruction and lack of safety regulations as possible negative outcomes. Merseyside Police has even recorded 108 crime incidents "related to raves" over the past three years.

But the Sky News report also recognizes that unlicensed parties are not just a whim of law breakers. The rise in illegal parties could be linked to Britain's falling number of legal nightclubs. London has seen an eight percent decrease in venues between 2014 and 2017, while the rest of Britain's club spaces fell by six percent between 2012 and 2017. What remains open is not always an accessible option.

"Money is almost undeniably a big factor," a member of a London collective, which throws regular illegal parties, told Resident Advisor . "London is outpricing artists and poor people, and it's vastly cheaper to attend raves than to go to licensed venues. They create cheap and even free spaces where people can come together to meet, collaborate, party and just have fun."

Credit: RA News, Sky News