The Sugar Club is the venue for the Dublin leg of Where Is The Night? as part of a nationwide tour of public talks presented by Give Us The Night, discussing the ongoing delay of new licensing laws and the current state of Irish nightlife.
The meetings will primarily discuss this licensing reform, what challenges still remain and when/how Give us The Night foresee the laws being enacted. As part of these discussions, they’ll also be asking what impact this delayed reform is having on the Irish night-time industry, as well as on social and cultural life in general.
It is clear that both the Irish nocturnal landscape and the industry look very different since Give Us The Night last undertook a nationwide tour five years ago. The organisers are particularly keen to hear how nightlife is on the ground now, and hearing perspectives on what needs to be done.
In a statement on the Give Us The Night Instagram page, organisers say, “Following multiple public and industry consultations since 2020, as well as a long string of announcements from the government, the Sale of Alcohol Bill has remained in limbo. No opening hours have been extended, no new permits created, no repeal of the 1935 Public Dance Halls Act (the “licence to dance”), no reform of licensing application processes and costs, etc. Irish nightlife remains in the last century.
They add, “Issues have grown significantly for those still trying to run a venue in a post-pandemic environment. Your feedback is important to us, which we intend to relay onto the government after this series of meetings are completed. If you’re a venue owner, cultural programmer, promoter, performer, manager, worker, advocate, nightlife goer or supporter, please drop by.”
They also extended the invitation to public representatives and election candidates, adding, “As we edge towards local elections, with a general election also in sight, we’d like public representatives to be more aware of what local communities and night-time venues need in the future, as we aim to reshape the night and the night-time economy in Ireland.”
Where is the night? takes place at 6.30pm on Wednesday February 28th in the Sugar Club.
All welcome, but organisers ask that those planning on attending sign up for the event here.
Read More… From our 2019 archive: Carpe Noctum: Give Us The Night
