Northern Ireland's nightlife scene is being held back by outdated licencing laws

A Northern Ireland nightlife charity has outlined the need for action as a new independent review showed our licensing laws need to be modernised.

Free the Night, a group founded in 2021 by local DJ Holly Lester and human rights advocate Boyd Lester, is committed to creating a safe, progressive, and culturally rich environment for nightlife in Northern Ireland. They have welcomed an Independent Review of the Liquor Licensing System in Northern Ireland, which sets out 26 recommendations for reform.

The Independent Review, led by the University of Stirling and researchers from the Universities of Sheffield and Edinburgh, recognises that the current system is unfit for purpose and has led to a “relative lack of diversity in terms of venue types.” The cultural and creative community in Northern Ireland is expected to welcome these recommendations.

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The licensing system in Northern Ireland, according to the review, "is not only substantially different to the rest of the UK but unusual by comparison to the rest of the world." The review recommends that the ‘surrender principle’ - a one-in-one-out system designed to limit the number of licensed outlets which dates back almost 120 years, is substantially reformed or completely replaced to protect both public health and the nightlife sector.

The researchers found the principle is causing an ongoing drift of these limited licences from pubs, venues and other licenced spaces to off-licences, also highlighting that higher densities of off-licences are closely linked to increased alcohol-related health harms. Whilst higher densities of pubs and other licensed spaces, like nightclubs and bars, are also associated with increased health risks, the research states that the risk is more pronounced with off-licences.

The review recognises the current licensing system “creates barriers to diversification and innovation in terms of both the range of products available to consumers and the types of venues licensed to sell alcohol.” To address this, a recommendation is made to create a pool of available special licences for cultural venues that can’t be resold or transferred, meant specifically for new entrants, small to medium enterprises, and start-ups offering artistic and cultural benefits to the wider community.

The process for obtaining an occasional licence, used for pop-up events, one off events and festivals, is recommended to be simplified, allowing organisations and businesses to apply without having to go through an existing licence holder.

The lack of nightclubs in Northern Ireland was described as “striking” with the acknowledgement that “they do form an important element of the night-time economy in a number of other cities” and that “if the current restrictions on operating hours are exacerbating this problem... then it is something that needs to be considered.”

Free The Night has long maintained that limiting the time cultural venues can operate not only restricts cultural participation and the ability to bring people together, but also prevents these spaces from diversifying to meet community needs.

Holly Lester, Co-Founder of Free The Night, said: "This review validates many of the concerns Free The Night has been raising since our formation. It’s encouraging to see the impact of early club closing times acknowledged as a serious issue, alongside recommendations that could genuinely empower promoters, entrepreneurs, and creatives.

"Northern Ireland's nightlife has been held back for too long by an outdated system, limiting cultural expression and economic growth. We urge policymakers to act on these findings and implement meaningful reform to create a thriving, diverse, and accessible night-time economy in Belfast and beyond."

Boyd Sleator, Co-Founder of Free The Night, said: "We want to thank the researchers and those at the University of Stirling for their work, and for making it clear that Northern Ireland has been held back for way too long by an antiquated system that only benefits the few. We now urge the Minister for Communities to move at pace to implement these recommendations.”

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