Zagreb Night-Time Economy: Hit or Myth

Abstract

The concept of night-time economy is a relatively new and underexplored area in scientific and professional literature, encompassing musical programs that take place during evening and night-time hours and influence the life of the local community. Activities occur between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM, including events that have partly derived through the development of cultural and creative industries alongside various accompanying activities that facilitate their execution. Considering that this topic is relatively unknown and has not been researched in the Republic of Croatia, the study aims to clarify the concept of the night-time economy and analyse the needs and possibilities for introducing a systematic approach to the development of the night-time economy in the city of Zagreb. The methods used in the research include the analysis of previous studies and examples of good practice abroad. Information on the state of the night-time economy in the city of Zagreb was collected through interviews conducted with owners of concert venues. The synthesis of research findings was prepared using the SWOT analysis method. The analysis of the night-time economy of the city of Zagreb points to the recognizability of Zagreb as a concert destination but also to a number of challenges, such as a general lack of knowledge of the night-time economy concept, traffic congestion, noise, and increased amounts of waste that the local population faces during the performance of music programs. The recommendations of the conducted research serve as guidelines for developing a management system for the Zagreb night-time economy through some of the proposed models, such as local action groups or the introduction of a night-time mayor system, which have proven to be successful models in some of the world's metropolises.