Following meetings initiated by BBN with the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), and as part of our ongoing advocacy for increased funding opportunities for nightlife within EU programmes, an important step has been taken ahead of the adoption of the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

The CoR has incorporated an amendment in favour of the night-time economy into its opinion submitted to the European Commission. It recognises nightlife as a vital, yet often under-recognised, driver of European identity, cultural vibrancy, tourism, employment, SME growth, youth engagement and the creative economy.

The amendment calls on the European Commission to better integrate the night-time economy into EU instruments, including the future EU Cities Platform, the State of European Cities Report, the Urban Agenda for the EU and the 2028–2034 MFF. It also highlights the need for comparable data, stronger knowledge-sharing and structured exchanges on night-time governance.

This is an important step, but the work is far from over. BBN will continue pushing for concrete EU programmes and dedicated funding that recognise nightlife across urban planning, culture, the economy and public health. Stay tuned as we work towards turning this recognition into real opportunities and support for the sector across Europe.

Brussels Open Air Festival took place on September 12, across five open-air locations in the city. Congress, Poelaert, Vaux Hall Jean Reyplein and Place d'Espagne welcomed different collectives, sounds, and atmospheres for one full day. A day to celebrate Brussels’ diversity and creative energy.

Now that the dust has settled, here are a few numbers that tell the story of our third edition. These figures reflect the people, artists, and collectives who made the festival possible:

8,000 tickets sold

10 Brussels-based operators involved

40+ local and international artists programmed

200+ people worked on the event

€35K redistributed to the scene

Clubs, collectives, creative spaces and promoters represented

32 proposals submitted through the open call

As part of the "ça m'saoule" harm reduction project - coordinated by ULB Santé, Modus Vivendi, O'Yes and FARES - we offered a Care Team workshop to ULB folklore circles. Aimed at preventing sexual violence and discrimination during student parties and the traditional initiation period (baptême) at the start of the academic year, this session provided party-going students with practical tools. The goal? To help them celebrate in a safer way: from drafting internal charters and protocols to prevent incidents, to knowing how to support victims if discrimination or violence occurs during the festivities.

We went to Rotterdam for this annual exchange, bringing together participants from Belgian and Dutch cities to share experiences and ideas on nightlife policy.

Through pitches highlighting local developments and different approaches to nightlife management, interactive workshops and venue visits, participants discussed policy challenges and explored possible solutions together.

We observed growing support for nightlife policy and increasing recognition of nightlife as an integral part of urban policy, as well as the importance of strengthening cooperation between cities, public authorities and the nightlife sector.

A clear trend also emerged: larger cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam are investing significant resources in integrating nightlife policy across different areas of urban governance. At the same time, smaller cities, where sector representation has traditionally been less structured, are beginning to develop dedicated platforms for representation and dialogue with public administrations.

The Paris Electronic Week offered an opportunity to explore key challenges facing the electronic music and nightlife sectors through a series of conferences and discussions.

Topics included rethinking club attendance, nightlife as a space for social integration, the role of city festivals in building cultural heritage, ethical partnership strategies, algorithmic recommendations, free parties, ecological concerns and the convergence of social struggles.

These conversations took place in a tense French political context, particularly around the proposed RIPOST law and its implications for nightlife and cultural communities. A strong focus on culture emerged, alongside concerns about the growing precarity of the sector and the conditions needed to sustain independent cultural initiatives. The exchanges underlined the importance of building collective responses, strengthening solidarity and fighting politically to defend our spaces, practices and communities.

Congrats to the Technopol team for organising such a rich event.