Applications are now open for Belfast City Centre's first-ever "Night Czar"

Applications are now open to find Belfast City Centre's first-ever Night Czar.

The new role is set to oversee a major development in the city’s night-time economy, established in collaboration between Belfast One’s Business Improvement District (BID), Cathedral Quarter BID, and the Linen Quarter BID.

The Night Czar will oversee Belfast’s important nighttime economy, providing it with a strong voice and a “focal point for both stakeholders and the media to interact with,” being a, “recognised expert who can inform how we develop, support, and enhance this important sector.”

The position is a part-time role, and is without a direct line manager, reporting instead to the three aforementioned BID boards. Applications for the role close on May 20 at 5:PM.

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The announcement of the Night Czar role follows Belfast’s recent award of the Purple Flag, an award which recognises the city’s thriving and diverse night-time economy, which represents a mix of entertainment, dining and culture.

In 2021 the campaign Free The Night demanded improvement in Belfast’s night-time economy, a push-back against what many called “unfair” rules which saw alcohol licensed only until 2:AM, and nightclubs forced to finish at 3:AM, in some of the strictest restrictions on opening times across Europe.

Despite new licensing laws and the appointment of the Night Czar, Free the Night has said in a statement on Instagram, “Whilst Free The Night welcomes this news and is encouraged by conversations with the Purple Flag Steering Group and the BIDs, this does not absolve the need for the government to take full responsibility for the night-time economy.”

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To apply for the role of Belfast's Night Czar, click here

Jamaal Johnson is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow him on Instagram