Camden’s evening and nightlife is a big part of what makes the borough the special and vibrant place that it is.

People worldwide view Camden as one of the best night-time destinations – from top music venues, bars and restaurants, leisure and art - it attracts thousands of visitors a month, which supports our local economy, employment, and high streets.

But we know the pressures these businesses are under. Many are still recovering from the pandemic, and now also dealing with the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis. That’s why we are committed to doing everything we can to help businesses thrive and make Camden’s evening and night-time the best it can be for residents, visitors, and workers. 

By developing our first evening and night-time strategy, we’re aiming to create a plan to make Camden a place everyone can feel safe, welcome, and a part of, while also supporting businesses and creating more jobs for local people. 

Ham & High: Cllr Danny Beales is asking for opinions on night-time in Camden TownCllr Danny Beales is asking for opinions on night-time in Camden Town (Image: Camden Council)

Our residents will play a key role in shaping this strategy, and we’ve been reaching out to communities to hear about their experiences of Camden’s evening and night-time.

We’ve heard from over 380 residents, businesses, workers and visitors so far on what they love about Camden at night and what they would like to improve and this month we’re holding our first ever Evening and Night-time Citizens’ Assembly, which will bring together 50 Camden residents and businesses to identify a vision and calls to action to inform this strategy. Visit camdenente.commonplace.is to find out more.

We’re also undertaking work to improve resident safety at night. In November, we created Camden’s first Safety Hub alongside the police to support people who may need help during a night out.

If anyone is feeling a bit uncomfortable or vulnerable, have experienced harassment, or just need some help while out – support is available at the hub at 1 Dockray Place, NW1 8QH. This could be anything from reporting an incident, helping residents get home safely, speaking to someone to providing refreshments.

We know how important the borough’s nightlife is, and by creating this strategy we hope to improve Camden’s evening and night-time, which will benefit our communities now and in the future.

Cllr Danny Beales is cabinet member for New Homes, Jobs and Community Investment at Camden Council.