How to fix Brisbane’s nightlife? Four generations weigh in
From car-reliant neighbourhoods to tight purse strings, there were plenty of reasons why Brisbane’s nightlife was being held back. Four generations discuss how to improve the river city’s nighttime economy.
This week, Committee for Brisbane hosted The Nighttime Economy: What makes a good night out anyway?, with four generations discussing how Brisbane wanted its nightlife scene to change and grow.
MC’d by Charlie Cush, CEO of Brisbane Festival, he welcomed the expert panel which included Government presentative Hon Sam O’Connor MP, entertainment representative John Collins, night-life economy commissioner, safety representative Anne Campbell, executive director of Queensland Walks, dining representative Tyron Simon, Anyday co-founder and precinct design representative Chris Paterson, senior principal and director at APAC Populous.
The expert panel quizzed representatives of four different generations — Boomer, Gen X, Millenial and Gen Z — about their ideal night out and how Brisbane can improve its nightlife.
Boomers
Tony Young, BDO business services partner, represented the Boomer generation. He explained that with his extra time and disposable income, his ideal night out consists of seeing a live show with friends or family followed by dinner or drinks. Young mentioned the Tivoli and the Triffid as some of his favourite venues.
Young said it could be difficult to find walkable dinner options within the same precinct after a show, and that the lack of options usually sent him home.
Anyday co-founder and precinct design representative Chris Paterson commented on the lack of connection between Brisbane precincts which prevented residents from continuing their nights out.
“The importance of connectivity is critical as well as public transport that functions after midnight for the sake of safety,” Paterson said.
Gen Z
Sophie Hogben, senior associate and design lead at APAC Populous, represented Gen Z.
Like Young, Hogben’s ideal night out also included drinks, a meal and a show, the only difference being the time.
Sophie said her generation were more likely to go out later and stay out longer compared to other generations. She credited venues included the Gabba and Suncorp Stadium as well as precincts Howard Smith Wharves, Fortitude Valley and James Street as her preferred night out locations.
O’Connor asked Hogben what the biggest factor stopping young people from going out to a gig was, as festivals and live music venues are currently struggling.
“The problem is we want to do everything, so how do we spread our money across all the things we want to do?”, she said.
Gen X
Bec Mac, creative director at Chrysalis Projects and POPSTART represented Gen X.
Mac said her ideal night out in Brisbane included dinner and drinks like other generations, but with shows taking priority.
Mac said her generation mostly focused on culture precincts, gallery openings, exhibitions and live music, and mentioned GOMA and QPAC as some of her favourite venues. Her biggest concerns were walkability between precincts and venues, as well as the lack of open dining venues late at night.
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Anna Campbell raised the issue of women’s safety, mentioning that 84 per cent of women feel unsafe walking or running at night in Brisbane.
“On our Safe Cities Walks, women feel really empowered because someone is listening to them and asking them what they actually need for a safer city,” Campbell said.
Mac said that cities are safer when they have a vibrant arts and culture scene, which fosters multicultural and intergenerational crowds and makes people feel more welcome.
“There’s no correlation between feeling safe and the actual crime rate of a place. What makes people feel safe is a sense of belonging,” Mac said.
Millennial
Jack Hutchinson, Director of Hutchinson Builders, served as the Millennial representative.
As a parent of two young children, Hutchinson said his ideal night out still included dinner, drinks and a show, but mostly on weekends and home by midnight.
Tyron Simon spoke about how Brisbane had a great hospitality and nightlife offering, but hasn’t been able to receive international attention for it until now. He said that with more and more people visiting Brisbane as a holiday destination, the city’s dining scene had a chance to shine.
“Today I had a call with the editor from Condé Nast, who is coming to Australia for a week and staying in Brisbane the whole time because everywhere she’s gone around the world, she’s heard that Brisbane is a city on the move,” Simon said.
Simon also mentioned that Sydney and Melbourne have been looking to James Street for dining precinct inspiration.
Anna Campbell pointed out neglected areas in Brisbane, such as Brunswick Street which could benefit from being “pedestrianised”, an idea that needs both state and local government support.
Hutchinson credited The Fortitude Music Hall and James Street as his favourite locations, but also mentioned his generation’s preference for home parties over going out.
John Collins spoke about factors blocking people from going out at night, from difficulty with public transport, prices and the ease of staying home.
“Young people are looking for experiences now. They’ll spend $2000 to go see Taylor Swift but won’t spend $30 t0 go see a local band so the challenge in the industry is getting people off the couch,” Collins said.
“The Brisbane economy can’t be turned on one year before the Olympics, we need to start building it up right now,” Simon added.
