Nighttime economy campaign threatened with axe wins global award
Bristol Nights beat cities like New Orleans and Sydney12:16, 19 Jun 2026A landmark nighttime economy campaign that Bristol City Council wanted to scrap to save money, despite huge success boosting venues and. . .
Bristol Nights beat cities like New Orleans and Sydney12:16, 19 Jun 2026A landmark nighttime economy campaign that Bristol City Council wanted to scrap to save money, despite huge success boosting venues and keeping the public safe after hours, has won a prestigious global award. Bristol Nights partnership’s A Ticket to the Future project, which aims to raise up to £1million a year for the city’s thriving grassroots music scene through a one per cent levy on gig-goers’ ticket prices – a proposal overwhelmingly backed by the public – triumphed at theMusic Cities Award for best music policy. It beat music hotbeds New Orleans, Sydney and Bogata in Colombia to claim the accolade. At a council meeting in March it emerged that Bristol Nights was beingquietly axed by the local authorityand that its nighttime economy adviser Carly Heath’s role was being scrapped. Thatsparked an outcryfrom hundreds of organisations representing the cultural sector and the nighttime industry, along with opposition groupLabour, demanding that thefunding for the programme and the post were reinstated, with Ms Heath posting on social media that she was now looking for a new job. Following the pressure, and after the project’s latest award victory earlier this month,Bristol City Councilput out apress release on Wednesdayafternoon (June 17) welcoming the win, along with a photo of a newly reinstalled Ms Heath celebrating with the trophy. The decision to cut the programme was called-in by Labour to a special meeting of the economy and skills committee in May where councillors agreed to restore the role of nighttime economy adviser. To see all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more in your area, enter your postcode below or visit the Public Notice PortalHERESpeaking toBristolLive, Labour group leader Cllr Tom Renhard said: “A Ticket to the Future is an exciting and innovative mission to back Bristol's grassroots live music scene, which continues to face a challenging economic climate. “Our congratulations go to Carly and the Bristol Nights partnership for all that has been achieved so far. “Bristol’s grassroots music scene is an incredible economic and cultural asset. “This is the third award Bristol Nights have received in a short space of time. “It just goes to show the importance of the council having the infrastructure in place to support our nighttime economy. “Even with the benefit of hindsight, the Greens’ attempt to scrap the role of nighttime economy adviser, and essentially scrap the whole Bristol Nights programme, is increasingly bewildering. “We are proud to have successfully fought back against that decision. “Bristol's nighttime economy deserves a council that has its back. ”In its press release, city council leader Cllr Tony Dyer said: “This international award recognises the strength, creativity and passion of Bristol’s music community, and the collaborative work underway to secure its future. “The Bristol Music Fund represents a new way of thinking about how we support culture in our city, placing community ownership, fairness and long-term sustainability at its heart. “From the feedback of the judging panel it is clear that the self-sustaining goal of the initiative, to develop greater sector resilience that is sustained by its audiences, is a model that can both inspire and activate others to explore. “Music is integral to Bristol’s identity and to the social and economic life of our city. “This work shows what can be achieved when artists, venues, industry and the public sector come together with a shared ambition to protect and grow something that matters deeply to our communities. “I wish to share my thanks to all involved up to this point. “I look forward to continuing to work with you on the next steps for the fund. ”Ms Heath said: “A Ticket To The Future was built with the music community, and this recognition belongs to everyone who has contributed their time, ideas and experience to shaping it. “The work is about asking how we create a fairer and more sustainable future for music. “It is about recognising music as part of our civic infrastructure, not just something that happens in venues at night. “There is still a lot of work to do, but this award gives us confidence that the approach we are developing here has international relevance. Article continues below“It shows what can happen when cities listen to their creative communities and work with them to shape policy from the ground up. ”A report to councillors is expected later this month outlining the next stage of plans for A Ticket to the Future.