Copenhagen

Creative Footprint Copenhagen is a research project by VibeLab with the support of PennPraxis and the city of Copenhagen, focusing on creative spaces and communities to study the cultural value and impact of music and nightlife in the city.

With generous support from the city of Copenhagen, Creative Footprint will conduct a study of the city’s music and nightlife spaces and communities throughout 2024-2025.

Over the period from July to September, the Creative Footprint team will host a series of focus groups and in-depth interviews to better understand the prevailing issues, challenges, and opportunities for nightlife in the city. By inviting all of Copenhagen’s nightlife actors to participate and engage in discussion, the team will empower and amplify emerging and established voices alike. In tandem, the Creative Footprint team will produce a richly detailed spatial analysis of nightlife venues in the city against demographic and economic datasets, uncovering insights into how nightlife is embedded in Copenhagen’s urban fabric.

The research project will culminate with a report in early 2025, including a set of policy recommendations and best practices to support the city of Copenhagen and other actors and organisations including Advisory Board for Nightlife. in working with and supporting the city’s nightlife communities, and the broader UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Copenhagen is the latest city to be studied by the Creative Footprint team, joining Berlin, New York, Tokyo, Stockholm, Montréal, Sydney and Rotterdam.

Research methodology

Creative Footprint’s methodology was developed by Berlin Club Commission’s board member and spokesperson Lutz Leichsenring, in collaboration with leading nighttime academics and practitioners at Harvard University. Since launching with Berlin’s study in 2017, the team has generated a database of over 5,000+ music and nightlife venues in major cities across three continents. Creative Footprint’s data scientists, led by city planner and lecturer Michael Fichman at the University of Pennsylvania, analyze thousands of unique data points about nightlife venues.

The team assesses venues according to unique indicators and integrates this venue data with economic and spatial data from government databases using customized software. This leads to a rich cultural analysis of the city’s creative nighttime ecosystem. Working in collaboration with local music and nightlife experts, Creative Footprint’s research team gathers insights from dozens of actors, stakeholders, and decision-makers embedded in a city’s creative, music, and nightlife scenes to assess the current picture and provide actionable solutions.

Creative Footprint Copenhagen comes at an exciting and crucial moment as the city has recently seen both venues opening and closing, while various local scenes and the city have been pushing for more lively, safely accessible nightlife. The research will commence with focus groups and interviews with selected Copenhagen nightlife changemakers. The Creative Footprint team will continue from there to engage with more people, data, and the city. The insights and momentum generated by Creative Footprint Copenhagen will be essential for the city to safeguard, grow, and celebrate its nightlife.

If you would like to get involved, reach out to:

Project manager Amir Salem (he/him) amir@vibe-lab.org

or 

Lead researcher Diana Raiselis (they/them) diana@vibe-lab.org

Partners in Copenhagen

Creative Footprint Copenhagen is a research project by VibeLab and PennPraxis, commissioned by the city of Copenhagen.

VibeLab is a leading, purpose-driven consultancy agency in all things at night. Founded in 2018 by Amsterdam’s former Night Mayor Mirik Milan and Berlin Club Commission’s spokesperson Lutz Leichsenring, VibeLab is based between Amsterdam, Berlin, and Sydney. Our expertise and international network of over 3,000 cultural and creative industry professionals, scientists, and public officials in more than 100 cities on 6 continents help those seeking new paths to improve creative nighttime ecosystems. VibeLab is fast-acting, trendspotting, and strategizing with all parties involved in creative communities, private and public sectors. By facilitating the exchange of ideas and providing tried and tested tools, formats, and best practices, we amplify subcultures.