This month transformative changes to are about to get underway in Sydney, following the approval of a plan to regenerate its stagnant night-time culture in a move towards being a 24-hour city. Here, we will reflect on what can we learn from the previous Global Cities After Dark conference in Sydney? What exactly is about to change for Sydney? What can we learn from the Creative Footprint studies that have previously taken place in Berlin, NYC and currently Tokyo? What can other cities learn from Sydney as an example?

Since 2014, NSW initiated a series of lock out laws in Sydney’s CBD to combat alcohol related violence. This, combined with urban development, rising property prices and the cost of negotiating, planning, building, noise complaints and liquor licence approvals have subsequently diminished the cities creative spaces, nightlife and employment over the last six years.

Sydney, is a prime example of a city with great creative capacity, with a reputation of incubating some of the most critically acclaimed musical acts in Australian history and a celebrated LGBTQI scene. However, this creative potential is not being fulfilled, the neglect in fostering energy into the nightlife has meant that creative talent has been moving elsewhere, meanwhile, gambling addictions have surged due to poker machines being a more viable entertainment option as opposed to music or performance.

Since 2017, the Global Cities After Dark conference has been hosted each year in Sydney, with the goal of bringing together international nightlife experts, to exchange knowledge, highlight best practice and to focus on successful solutions for thriving night time culture and economy.

The central topics of the 2018 GCAD conference focused on:

Mirik Milan, who in collaboration with Electronic Music Conference presented Global Cities After Dark, proposed, in order to get creative Sydney back on its dancing feet :

During last year’s GCAD conference, Jess Scully, City of Sydney Councillor and Co-Chair of the City’s Nightlife and Creative Sector Advisory Panel declared:

Although Sydney still has a long way to go regarding noise complaints and the lock out laws, a new proposal from the City of Sydney, that enables extended hours for live music venues with potential for 24/7 licensing has just been approved last week. Now that the development control plan has been endorsed, late night trading will become a reality for businesses that want to apply, there will also be bonus hours for venues that host live music and performance.

This first step will hopefully result in progressive and impactful changes to Sydney’s night-time culture and economy.

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The Potential: took place this Monday. And is an event from Non-profit Detroit-Berlin Connection (DBC) focused on Detroit’s night time economy.

The public talk at Tangent Gallery featured guest presenter Mirik Milan. Milan reflected on his experience in creating dialogue and exchange between cross-sector stakeholders, and how Detroit could follow a similar path to create a vibrant 24-hour economy. Tourism based around techno and the curfew-free night has produced huge economic and social dividends in Berlin. Milan discussed how innovative models created and practiced in Berlin can be applied to Detroit and other cities.

The DBC is spearheaded by Dimitri Hegemann, founder of Berlin’s Tresor and Berlin Atonal, celebrates the global legacy, influence and dissemination of Detroit Techno music across the world. Aiming to reinforce Detroit’s, often overlooked place, at the centre of the widest youth movement in the last century.

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Thats all from us at VibeLab!