Jul 25 • Jo Cox-Brown

How Can We Make Our Night-Time Economies More Inclusive?

I’ve spent the last two decades working with venues, festivals, city councils, and frontline teams across the UK, Ireland and Europe.

And here’s what I’ve seen time and again: when the night works for everyone, it’s better for all of us. But right now, it doesn’t.

For many people, nightlife is still a space of exclusion or unease. Whether due to disability, age, race, gender, neurodivergence or cultural invisibility, the barriers can be physical, emotional or social. Too often, they’re baked into the way we design, market and run our night-time economies.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Here are a few ways we can start shifting in that direction. Not just in theory, but in practice, with real-world examples that show what’s possible.

Essential components

1. Start by asking: Who isn’t here?

Every city, every venue, every festival should pause and ask this question.

Who should feel safe and seen here, but doesn’t?

Often, the answer includes disabled people who can’t physically access the space. Older adults who feel nightlife isn’t for them. Women and gender-diverse people who don’t feel safe on their journey home. People of colour who are underrepresented in programming or overpoliced by security. Neurodivergent folks who are overwhelmed by the sensory environment.

Real inclusion begins with this awareness and the willingness to make changes.

2. Disability inclusion is more than step-free access

Yes, ramps and lifts matter. But so do quiet spaces, staff training, online access information, and an attitude of genuine welcome.

One brilliant example is Bubble Club in East London, a nightclub run by and for people with learning disabilities. For more than a decade, it has offered inclusive, sensory-friendly events that prioritise joy, connection and belonging. It proves that accessible nightlife isn’t niche, it’s vital.

3. Age-inclusive nightlife is good for everyone

Nightlife doesn’t have to start at 11 pm and end at 3 am. Some of the most beautiful events I’ve attended have been early evening gigs, all-ages community dance nights, or Sunday socials where grandparents and teenagers share a dance floor.

Manchester’s My Generation Club Nights have done this brilliantly, welcoming people aged 50 and over into safe, joyful dance events that build social connection and tackle loneliness in one go. It’s nightlife that heals, not just entertains.

4. Representation and safety go hand in hand

Diversity in programming is important, but it’s not enough. Inclusion means working with communities to shape events and policies that genuinely reflect their needs.

In Liverpool, the creation of the Pride Quarter is a powerful example. Streets were reimagined with the LGBTQ+ community at the centre, with permanent signage, inclusive programming and safer transport links. This kind of structural visibility matters. It tells people, you belong here, not just during Pride month, but always.

5. Neurodivergent-friendly spaces are possible

For some people, the lights, noise, and crowds of a club can be overstimulating and exhausting. However, with a few adjustments, venues can be welcoming rather than overwhelming.

Club LATE, supported by C-Change in Scotland, is co-designed with people with learning disabilities and offers calm lighting, predictable routines and trained staff. It’s a simple yet profound shift.

6. Feedback loops and lived experience matter

Inclusive design isn't one-size-fits-all. It evolves.

Some of the best venues I’ve worked with regularly consult access user groups, publish live accessibility updates online or co-create policies with community representatives. They treat feedback not as criticism, but as fuel for improvement.

When you listen with respect, you build trust. And trust brings people back.
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Final thoughts

Inclusion isn’t a tick-box exercise. It’s a mindset, a practice, and a commitment to doing better with and for the communities we serve.

I’ve seen what happens when the night is reimagined with care, when a disabled clubber finds a venue that truly understands them. When a 65-year-old dances with their grandchild at a day rave. When a young queer artist headlines instead of being sidelined.

The night belongs to all of us. Let’s start building it that way.

If you're working on a project, venue, or policy and want to make it more inclusive, my team and I would be happy to help. Book a free discovery call and let’s start the conversation.