In Aotearoa, the nighttime and the after-dark communities that inhabit it are treated with a parochial sense of reserve. A proverbial problem child who must be kept in line by reactive public policy. At Going Global 2026, DJ, event producer and curator and activist HALFQUEEN hosted a conversation with Mirik Milan, the world’s first Night Mayor from Amsterdam, to challenge that paradigm and unpack the practical steps toward unlocking the city’s latent potential.
What the hell is a Night Mayor anyway?
In Auckland, HALFQUEEN is colloquially known as the city’s unofficial Night Mayor. An affectionate nickname given in recognition of their work advocating for the city’s nightlife. Advocacy that is informed by a career of service to dancefloors around the world and the lived experience of how intentional governance is essential to a thriving nightlife. The term has also been adopted by a series of events – mostly panel talks among a changing crew of other participants in the Tāmaki’s nightlife – have periodically been hosted since October last year, gathering and creating a community of people invested in the topic. In Europe, where the moniker originated, the title of Night Mayor carries official duties, working in conjunction with city councils.
In Amsterdam, Mirik Milan was elected by festival-goers, venue owners, and the public as the world’s first Nachtburgemeester (Night Mayor) in 2012. He held the role for six years, leading a non-profit organisation, funded jointly by city hall and the business community, that provides evidence-backed guidance on how the city’s nighttime economy can flourish. In 2020, Milan co-authored an article in which he described Night Mayors as champions for a city's after-dark communities, “responsible for maintaining nocturnal vibrancy, while mediating between those who wish to work, party or sleep.” Before being officially elected as the city’s Night Mayor, he spent two and a half years doing unpaid work reaching out to different stakeholders in the community, drawing together a diverse array of interest groups to formulate policy suggestions that would then be considered by council. He took that foundation and ethos into his role as a Night Mayor, serving as a conduit through which the interests of all members of the community are channelled into public policy advice. There are now over 80 cities worldwide that have adopted some form of official nighttime governance, so what can we learn from those international examples?
The power of the 24-hour license
It's a proposal that would probably put the fear of god into some of Auckland’s more conservative constituents, but in Amsterdam the 24-hour permit became a city wide success story. Key to that is an intentionally selective tender process. Of the five 24-hour licences originally on offer, only three venues received them. The licences targeted multi-disciplinary venues on the outskirts of the city that add to the cultural value of the city. Night clubs that also functioned as bars, galleries, cafes, community space, yoga studios – one space even had a kindergarten. The selectivity of the 24-hour licences was a built-in measure that helped to bridge the gap between nighttime communities and daywalkers, increasing the number of third spaces available in the city. This focus encouraged venues to consider how they could operate outside of the usual Friday, Saturday and Sunday timetable.
To absolutely no one's surprise, building a vibrant nightlife requires investment
One upside of being so behind the ball when it comes to investing in our nightlife is that we can steal other cities' homework. Take Berlin, for example, a city with a global reputation for a vibrant nightlife – as Mirik Milan told the audience at Going Global, that wasn’t an accident but the result of targeted investment in the nighttime economy.
Founded in 2001, the Berlin Clubcommission is an advocacy group comprising collectives, creatives, bookers, and scene enthusiasts. One of their key initiatives is their €1,000,000-a-year Soundproofing Fund. The council-backed fund provides grants of up to 100,000 euros for venues to invest in soundproofing, neighbourhood-friendly sound systems, or relocating the entrance from the front to the back to accommodate nearby dwellings is now in its eighth year. Investments like this aren’t handouts – they are an injection of money that helps to unlock the economic potential of a city's nightlife. One in seven people in major cities around the world work in nightlife, and in Aotearoa alone, bars and clubs contribute 2 billion to New Zealand’s economy. But effective nighttime governance isn’t just about financial investment, Milan explained; it can also present opportunities for councils to save money.
A license to rave
In the early 2010s, Berlin had a problem. Young promoters eager to make a name in the industry were having their illegal open-air raves shut down by Police. The constant callouts prompted by aggrieved members of the community were a drain on city resources. The Clubcommission recognised that problem and stepped in. Partnering with the Chamber of Industry and Commerce to provide Free Open Air Workshops. The workshops educated young promoters, equipping them with skills, knowledge, and a license to rave while also serving as a medium between disgruntled members of the public and young promoters. The initiative saved the city money and uplifted the next generations of promoters whose work contributes to the vibrancy of the city’s cultural landscape.
We’re gonna need some data
Milan knows that attempting to engage with councils on nighttime governance requires a cohesive argument backed by data. But how does one collect data about a city’s nightlife? That's the problem Milan set out to solve when he co-founded VibeLab. A consultancy agency that works with cities and businesses to aid in the growth of their nightlife. One of their key reporting mechanisms is The Creative Footprint. The goal of Creative Footprint reports is to map out the amount of creative space a city has, with the understanding that the vibrancy of a city's nightlife is tied to how it manages creative infrastructure. From there the report can be used by councils to make a considered approach to nightlife planning. Milan stressed that while data is important for engaging with the council, it’s impossible to quantify the true cultural significance of a vibrant nightlife. For Milan that unquantifiable aspect is the heart of the Night Mayor initiative.
At the heart of the mission is a commitment to culture
Milan believes in the nighttime as a place where people, young and old can express themselves freely, finding their voice and sense of belonging. If you’ve experienced the power of the night, then the push for public investment seems obvious. If you haven't had that privilege yet, then your ability, and the ability of future generations to find themselves in the night should be protected. That requires investment in infrastructure and people. Aotearoa has been punching well above its weight and funding budget when it comes to nightlife pioneers. Walk down Karangahape Road on any given weekend and you will run into internationally renowned DJs, artists, choreographers, videographers and photographers, whose professional development has been entirely self-funded. What we don’t have is a talent issue, and a small investment in people and the infrastructure that supports them can only multiply the creative genius that already exists here. What Milan and the global rise of Night Mayors shows is that engagement with and from council we can bolster a nighttime industry of creatives that has thrived through the sheer power of DIY.
In Milan’s experience, councils prefer communicating with select individuals who are backed by, or represent wider interest groups. As HALFQUEEN pointed out, there are already groups and individuals doing the mahi here in Tāmaki Makaurau: Independent Music Venues Aotearoa, venue owners, artists, DJs, promoters, and music enthusiasts who are working to make Auckland a city known for its exceptional nightlife. Milan stressed that even with an official Night Mayor it's important that these activist groups exist, to keep applying pressure from the outside. What a Night Mayor could provide to Tāmaki Makaurau, and other centres in the motu, is a focal point through which the work of pre-existing organisations can be focused into a powerful lobbying force. An official Night Mayor could present a cohesive voice for those groups and individuals and collaborate with the city’s daywalking inhabitants, and policy makers. If decisions affecting the night have to be made in the day, then the voices advocating for our nocturnal communities need to have a seat at the table.
