The Night Debate took place late last week at Vibes, the former Beursgebouw. By the end of the evening, the eleven invited political parties had reached a common conclusion: Eindhoven needs more space for nightlife and the culture that comes with it.
The outcome was no surprise. Most of the parties present — 50PLUS, Volt, Socialist Party, Forum for Democracy, Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), EVE, Democrats 66 (D66), Party for the Animals, People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), New Social Contract (NSC), and GroenLinks–PvdA — had already voiced support for expanding Eindhoven’s nightlife during the previous council term.
Jeannot Keser of the Nacht Collectief said the political backing sounds positive, but real action is still missing. “Something clearly went wrong when the location profiles were drawn up,” he said. “For Strijp-S, a limit of 85 decibels was agreed. That’s the sound level of my washing machine. The policy simply doesn’t work the way it should.”
CDA councillor Jan Joosten shared that view, “Eighty-five decibels is about the level of people talking in a bar without music.”
Currently, Eindhoven allocates €133,000 annually to nightlife culture. All parties agree that this amount should rise. “The city is growing rapidly, and the budget for night culture should really grow at the same pace,” said Joosten.
Volt leader Jacco Rubenkamp suggested increasing Eindhoven’s overall cultural spending. “Raise it to €260 per resident and earmark part of that specifically for night-time activities. That would put us in line with the four largest cities,” he said. Eindhoven currently spends about €211 per resident on culture. D66 councillor Annelies Becker hopes the next coalition agreement will reflect this increase.
Meanwhile, the city’s Night Embassy on Stratumseind will remain open. All parties support continuing to fund the facility’s €250,000 annual operating cost, which opened last year as a safe space for the night-time community. “You immediately see its added value. That’s something we’re prepared to keep paying for,” said Sep Wittenbols of GroenLinks–PvdA.
Some councillors warned that nightlife is often constrained by safety regulations. They said events are too often judged through a safety lens before their cultural or economic value is considered. The council agreed that red tape around night-time activities should be reduced.
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