Like many areas of society, music and nightlife took a substantial hit as a result of Covid, but many would argue that Dublin's nightlife has been under threat of depletion for many years now, with the number of late night venues in the city dwindling.
The issue has risen to such prominence that groups like Give Us The Night, campaigning for positive changes to nightlife in Ireland, have been established.
Give Us The Night aims to "highlight the contribution of the night-time industry to culture, community and the economy in Ireland" and wants to look abroad to bring Ireland up to international standards when it comes to its nightlife.
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It might seem obvious that nightlife took a hit after the pandemic, but its long awaited return didn't quite look like what many would have hoped for. It seems like another lifetime when a night out on the town could only start at midnight. It takes a certain level of planning nowadays and what results is a lack of spontaneity, that "anything could happen tonight" mindset that makes a night out so thrilling.
While you'll find plenty anecdotal evidence of Dublin's struggling nightlife scene on social media, the proof is in fact in the numbers.
A recent Post-Pandemic Report by District Magazine revealed that the number of late night venues in Dublin has fallen from 41 to just 19 in the last ten years. Some of the notable closures to have sparked the conversation about the importance of nightlife in the city were that of District 8 and Hangar, remembered by club lovers as havens for house and techno music.
According to District Magazine's report, Dublin's late nigh venue capacity stands at 11,000 in 2022 compared to 25,000 in 2012.
With rising costs of living and many young people still living in their childhood homes due to high rents and house prices, the dwindling nightlife in Dublin is perhaps yet another blow for young people in particular, an understandable reason for them to look overseas for a more exciting, more freeing quality of life.
Cities like Lisbon, Berlin and Barcelona begin to look more appealing to an age group that has patiently waited for the return of nightlife during a global crisis in which they sacrificed a lifestyle that other generations got to enjoy, one where a person could jump on a late bus, arrive in town and let the night gift them with memories to cherish for a lifetime.
The answer? Give Us The Night offer an attractive solution to the issue of Dublin's nightlife issues, with its aim to influence legislation that will lead to more "vibrant" nightlife in Ireland. Proposing that Ireland adopts a more progressive European approach, Give Us The Night wants Ireland's nightlife to reflect "the wide range of lifestyles and working hours here".
But what practical solutions does this campaigning group propose? What kind of legislation do they have in mind?
They want "a complete rethink of our licensing laws" which would see the establishment of a night-time commission or advisory group as well as the introduction of a Night Mayor along with the formation of licensing boards within city and county councils.
While the idea of a night mayor is certainly a new concept in an Irish context, capital cities around the world such as London, New York, Amsterdam and Paris.
Most recently, the group has called for the continued waiver of Special Exemption Orders (SEOs) which were introduced in 2021. These SEOs apply to late night venues that wish to open late into the night. They can cost venues hundreds per night.
Looking through a certain lens, the attractiveness of Dublin to young people, who have spent a good chunk of their vital years in their childhood bedrooms, doesn't appear that strong.
Among an array of issues is a lack of spontaneous fun and a free spirited sense of possibility that we look for in a capital city's nightlife scene.
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