The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced that writer, broadcaster, DJ, performer and campaigner Amy Lamé will be London’s first-ever Night Czar. The appointment of a Night Czar comes after successful similar appointments in cities across the world including Amsterdam and Berlin and San Francisco.
Amy is the co-founder and host of the Olivier award-winning Duckie at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, the legendary club night which will celebrate its 21st anniversary next month. She previously served as Mayoress of Camden between 2010-2011; in this ceremonial role she championed the borough’s vibrant range of live music venues and nightclubs.
Recent research shows that the night time economy contributes £26.3bn to London’s annual GDP, equivalent to 40 per cent of the UK’s night time economy.
Amy said: “It’s a privilege to be London’s very first Night Czar. I can’t wait to hit the streets and have loads of ideas of what I can do for revellers, night-time workers, businesses and stakeholders. For too long, the capital’s night-time industry has been under pressure – music venues and nightclubs in particular are closing at an alarming rate.
“With the advent of the Night Tube, and the Mayor’s commitment to protect iconic venues across the city, I’m confident that I can inspire a positive change in the way people think about the night time economy. I look forward to bringing together local authorities, the police, Transport for London and many other people from across the night time industries to transform London into a truly 24-hour city.”
Sadiq said: “…Amy is a fantastic hire who will give a big boost to our city’s flourishing nightlife which already attracts millions of visitors each year. Her proven track-record of helping save venues, her first-hand experience of the industry over the last two decades as well as her love for London and its nightlife are what make her such a great candidate for the role. She is in an ideal position to work together with venues, authorities, developers and revellers enjoying a night out to solve difficult issues and get new and creative projects going…”
Julian Bird, Chief Executive of the Society of London Theatre, added: “The appointment of the Night Czar demonstrates the huge importance of London’s night-time economy, of which theatre is a crucial part. Night after night, incredible work is performed on our stages and we look forward to working together to celebrate and champion this.”
The Mayor recently announced that the Piccadilly Line will start running 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays from Friday 16 December.