Lead
Brisbane has been ranked as the best city in Australia for nightlife — but only on Thursdays. According to the Measuring the Nightlife Economy report, commissioned by the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors, Brisbane outranked every other capital city in night-time trade on Thursday nights, making it the city's busiest night of the week.The report found that Brisbane's drinking economy was the "standout sub-subsector," with the number of alcohol venues surging 14 per cent since the last financial year. This contrasts with a nationwide decrease in the drinking sector, averaging a 1.2 per cent decline in venues across Australia over the past 12 months. Thursday was also Brisbane's late-night shopping day, with 41 per cent of retailers trading in the evening hours, compared with 26 per cent on the rest of the weekdays.
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Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Thursday night had only recently cemented itself as the night the city lets its hair down. "It was always Friday and Saturday nights that were the big nights before the pandemic, and then the pandemic changed everyone's working habits," he said. "Now the busiest days in the office are on a Wednesday and a Thursday, so Friday has a higher number of people working from home. Thursday night is the night that a lot of people choose to stay longer and go out after work."The report identified Fortitude Valley, West End, South Bank, and the CBD as the strongest clusters of night-time trading. It also highlighted initiatives contributing to the vibrant Thursday scene, though the specifics were not detailed in the report extracts.
Separately, a review by Queensland's first nightlife commissioner, John "JC" Collins, has recommended updating the state's decades-old liquor act, which restricts alcohol sales on Good Friday and Christmas Day and limits venues to six extended trading hours a year. Collins, a former Powderfinger bassist tasked with reinvigorating the sector ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, said the state was "behind" in its regulations and put too much of a burden on venues. "For too long the narrative has been the nightlife is a nuisance, and been treated that way," he said.
The report, handed to government late last year, also recommends the government revises "outdated" sound regulations, which "unfairly penalise venues," and change the way sound is measured to "better balance community expectations with venue operations."
However, the Queensland government has already ruled out the recommendation to change holiday trading hours. Youth Minister Sam O'Connor said changes to Christmas and Easter trading were off the table. "We need to drive every day of the year, not just one particular day of trade," he said. "It's usually the only day for those businesses where their hospitality workers will know that everyone won't be working at the same time, so you can have those staff get-togethers."
The review also addresses how the state handles noise complaints, recommending that five separate households would have to complain before compliance action is taken, a proposal aimed at alleviating the burden on venues.
Key Claims
- Brisbane is number one in Australia for nightlife on Thursdays, according to the Measuring the Nightlife Economy report commissioned by the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors.
- Brisbane's drinking economy saw a 14 per cent increase in alcohol venues, contrasting with a national average decline of 1.2 per cent.
- Thursday is Brisbane's late-night shopping day, with 41 per cent of retailers trading in the evening, versus 26 per cent on other weekdays.
- Fortitude Valley, West End, South Bank, and the CBD were identified as the strongest night-time trading clusters.
- The Queensland government has ruled out changes to Christmas and Easter trading hours for licensed venues.
- The nightlife commissioner's report recommends updating Queensland's decades-old liquor act and revising sound regulations deemed "outdated."