Melbourne Earmarks $2M For Night-Time Activities

Melbourne’s night owls can brace themselves for a bundle of nightlife activities as the city council announced $2 million in grant funding for twilight and night-time ventures. 

In COVID-19’s aftermath, the Victorian capital wants to reclaim its status as a 24-hour city by boosting the night-time economy through outdoor activities and pop-up music performances. 

Dubbed The Dusk til’ Dawn Activation Grants Program and part of the $200 million Melbourne City Revitalisation Fund, the nightlife scheme seeks to boost the nightlife economy substantially. 

Instead of focusing on traditional after-dark ventures such as drinking, the project proposes a cultural, booze-free approach to nightlife.

Other activities aiming to convince residents to ditch their couches and go out when the sun goes down include interactive public exhibitions, visual installations, outdoor theatrical performances, and food festivals. 

To fill the bill and qualify to apply for grants of up to $100,000, activations and temporary events have to “bring energy and vibrancy to city precincts from 6pm to 6am,” according to the City of Melbourne. Besides convincing Melburnians to paint the town red, they also need to increase economic activity in the area. 

The funded nightlife activities will kick off during the Melbourne’s frostiest months, as the nightlife additions will be available next year between May 1st and October 31st.

Melbourne’s night-time economy employed more than 31,000 people between 2020 and 2021 – a 14,9% increase compared to the previous year.

When announcing the D2D program, Lord Mayor Sally Capp described the nightlife initiative as a way to “take our night-time economy to the next level.”

“This program will further build on our work to enhance the city’s night-time economy post-COVID. It’s clear our efforts are having a significant impact during Melbourne’s sustained bounce back.”