Whose City at Night?

A former bunker becomes an internationally celebrated club. One city grapples with the fallout of its own tourism success. Another carves out its own cultural identity alongside a touristically dominant neighbor. And another asks how much branding its own "music city" identity can take. Nightlife has long since become more than leisure — it's a location factor, a marketing asset, and sometimes a battleground, all at once. This panel brings together different cities and perspectives that show just how differently the same question can play out: who benefits when the night becomes a tourism attraction — and who bears the cost?

The session opens with an input by music tourism researcher Paula Simó (University of Valencia), who draws on her research into music cities and nightlife governance to unpack what actually makes music and nightlife tourism work. Moderated by Lena Ingwersen (Music Cities Network), representatives from club operations, nightlife governance and tourism coordination then discuss how the build-up, friction, and branding of nightlife tourism plays out in practice.

Panel in English · 90 minutes

Participants

Moderation: Lena Ingwersen (Managing Director Music Cities Network, Berlin, DE) — confirmed
Keynote: Paula Simó (University of Valencia, ES) — requested

Panelists:

• Paula Simó (University of Valencia, ES) — requested
• Markus Riedel (CEO Open Ground, Wuppertal, DE) — confirmed
• Jacek Jordan (Night Mayor, Kraków, PL) — confirmed
• Jana Janulíková (Director TIC BRNO, CZ) — confirmed
• Freek Wallach (Night Mayor, Amsterdam, NL) — requested