Clubs to institutions: culture-led nightlife policies in Amsterdam and Berlin

Nightlife policies have historically been studied through an emphasis on urban governance. This paper takes a novel approach by analysing nightlife policies of Amsterdam and Berlin as examples of cultural policy rooted in localised traditions. Our research not only contrasts and compares different trajectories and objectives of culture-led nightlife policies, but also considers their complex relationship with event organisers (“promoters”). Based on interviews with 64 nightclub promoters and external promoters (37 based in Amsterdam, 27 in Berlin), we analyse how key nightlife actors understand the impact of culture-led nightlife policies, specifically discussing economic autonomy, through the tension between regulation and deregulation, and political autonomy, zooming in on club culture activism around solidarity with Palestine. This paper contributes to cultural policy research by analysing an emergent domain of cultural policy and its implications for generating and preserving nocturnal creativity.