There’s a New Report on the Health of Global Nightlife Culture — How Did New York Rate?
Assessing the scenes in Amsterdam, Lagos, New York, São Paulo, Seoul and Sydney, the Nighttime Culture Index was unveiled Thursday (Oct. 22) at ADE 2026.
The Nighttime Culture Index, released by VibeLab, an Amsterdam-based consulting and advocacy agency, assessed the health of nightlife culture in six major global cities across six continents. The index, presented at ADE, the dance industry gathering celebrating its 30-year anniversary, ranked New York's nightlife scene based on factors such as cost, diversity, safety, and inclusivity.
New York's nightlife culture is described as "legendarily vibrant," with 94% of respondents agreeing that the city offers a variety of different scenes, styles, sounds, and genres. The report highlights that the DIY scene is thriving in the city, but the high costs are a significant barrier to entry for both promoters and audiences. Venue ownership and leadership diversity, as well as safety concerns, are also major issues in New York, with 73% of respondents feeling safe inside venues, compared to just 11% in the streets.
On the positive side, the report praises New York for having something for everyone in its nightlife culture, with no repeated artists, sounds, or styles. The city's focus group felt strongly that New York is a place where new artists, sounds, and styles can emerge. Additionally, 84% of survey respondents agreed that people from diverse communities participate in nighttime culture in New York.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
