Nightclub operator Luminar has confirmed that it has teamed up with Ministry of Sound as part of a wider bid to reverse a decline in revenue.

During the six months to the end of August, the group reported a 20.8 per cent decrease in overall sales compared with the same period last year. Across 76 venues, admission revenue fell by 26.5 per cent and footfall fell by more than 19 per cent against the first half of last year - a decline the group now aims to reverse.

Luminar said that the partnership with Ministry of Sound aims to deliver events through the Hed Kandi and Dance Nation brands that would sit alongside its "mainstream" offer. The group also announced that it had signed up live acts, such as Calvin Harris and Basshunter, to perform in its clubs as part of an operational change.

Students will also be targeted through the Fuzzy Logic brand to launch during Freshers' Week, while a selective programme of club refurbishment will commence over the coming half year. Luminar chief executive Simon Douglas said: "The difficult trading environment experienced during the second half of the last financial year continued into the first half of this year.

"We now have a clear picture of the strategy we believe is appropriate to reverse the downward trend. Management actions are showing encouraging signs of driving footfall and volume."