Nightlife in Dublin is ‘as bad as it's ever been', amid calls for longer opening hours

Irish Independent

09-07-2025

Dubliner Robbie Kitt is a DJ, producer and member of Give Us The Night, an independent group campaigning for later licensing and improvements for cultural spaces across the country.
Last month, the group published a comprehensive report called Rhythm of the Night, which highlights the health of the nightlife industry here.
The report emphasised that Ireland has the earliest closing times in the EU, with most clubs ending by 2.30am, far behind the EU average of 6.30am.
Mr Kitt, says the campaign for later licensing hours in Dublin is at a critical point, as nightlife in the capital is 'as bad as it's ever been'.
'We're at such a critical existential point that if you did bring in later opening hours, you're probably only looking at about 10 businesses across the country that will actually avail of those opening hours,' he said.
Mr Kitt says the lack of nightclubs and cultural spaces in Dublin is having a profound effect on the loneliness epidemic among young people.
'In the absence of interesting cultural alternatives and social alternative options. We're leading ourselves to a society that is far more isolated, socialising just from screens from the comfort of their own homes.'
Other issues raised in the report show how nightclubs have increasingly swayed towards part-time business models.
Most nightclubs in Ireland operate solely for six to nine hours a week over two nights.
'In the absence of these spaces being open, what we're really doing is just driving [alcohol] consumption into the home,' Mr Kitt said.
'From our perspective we think one of the safest places where people can consume alcohol, if they wish to do so, is within a regulated business.'
Mr Kitt says anti-social behaviour occurs because of the absence of social spaces in the city at night.
'When it comes to Dublin and the perception of being safe in the city, one of the best antidotes to anti-social behaviour is more social behaviour,' he said.
Mr Kitt says there needs to be innovative solutions to the current issues facing Irish nightclubs.
' I was 18 in 2008 when the law changed and, for example, the Gaiety Theatre was able to open until 6am,' he said.
'If you have this prominent theatre right in the heart of the city centre that's offering theatre shows during the day and on the weekends offers a kind of a cultural variety of things, you're actually making this kind of true multipurpose fun.'
Give Us the Night is hoping this report will bring licensing laws back onto the government agenda
'The goal is to try and motivate the government to actually act on these things, including licensing reform, as a part of the program for government,' Mr Kitt said.