Ireland's first Night-Time Economy forum takes place this week
It comes as the country's licensing laws get a long-awaited shake-up
Ireland's first-ever annual Night-Time Economy forum happens this week.
Taking place at the National Gallery of Ireland from 2 AM to 5 PM on Tuesday, 17th January, the Arts Council-hosted meeting will "examine emerging trends and initiatives, and aims to encourage new partnerships that will support the role of the arts in creating a vibrant night-time economy."
Among the speakers include former Amsterdam night czar Mirik Milan, Dublin Fringe Festival CEO Ruth McGowan and Adrienne Rodgers, the director of services of community, culture and placemaking in Cork.
Free and open to the public via online tickets - and available to watch online - the forum comes three months after it was announced that nightclubs in the Republic of Ireland will soon be able to stay open until 6 AM under new licensing laws. Venues will now be permitted to sell alcohol until 5 AM with a license, and dancing is allowed to continue until 6 AM.
In a statement, Minister Catherine Martin said: "The Night-Time Economy Task Force has set forth an ambitious programme that is working to shape and change our cities and towns at night. This forum shines a spotlight on the potential ways in which we can make this happen. I'm looking forward to seeing new and innovative solutions to some of the challenges facing the night economy and some new and interesting partnerships coming out of this event."
Give Us The Night (GUTN), the campaign to improve Irish nightlife conditions co-founded by Sunil Sharpe and Robbie Kitt, have been lobbying the government for several years to bring Ireland’s night-time economy and culture in line with its European counterparts.
Read about the pioneering work of the Give Us The Night campaign and the fight for the future of Irish clubbing here.
