Amsterdam Dance Event and VibeLab launch Nighttime Culture Index

The Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) and VibeLab have launched the inaugural Nighttime Culture Index (NCI), a global research initiative designed to map and monitor nightlife ecosystems. The study focuses on six major cities: Amsterdam, Lagos, New York, São Paulo, Seoul, and Sydney.

The index evaluates nightlife through six pillars: Creative Ecology, Space & Infrastructure, Diversity & Representation, Community & Belonging, Policy & Civic Health, and Sustainability & Environment. Using 30 distinct indicators, the research analyzes factors such as safety, financial accessibility, and the effectiveness of municipal support for cultural ecosystems.

Initial findings highlight significant disparities in economic accessibility and representation. In terms of cost, a night out in Sydney requires approximately one hour of minimum wage work, whereas in Lagos, it requires roughly 25 hours before accounting for transport or beverages. Additionally, women and gender-diverse artists comprise only 27% to 32% of lineups across the studied cities, and venue ownership and management diversity is rated as ‘poor’ in five of the six hubs.