Is the night mayor a new sponsorship opportunity?
Looking for a cool, super cool, new gig?
The City of Toronto is about to appoint its first-ever Night Mayor. Technically, the job title is "Manager of the Night Economy," though I think the nickname is cooler. Night Mayor. (Not Nightmare for the record!)
Technically, there is a need for a changemaker—someone who looks beyond the clubs and partying and focuses on all elements of the night economy, including businesses, culture, services, etc. So, the WANT AD could read as a call for a culture-shifting, business-boosting, safety-advocating, community-building leadership role that could help redefine the 416's appearance after dark.
While this might sound new in a Canadian context, it's a global trend that has been gaining steam for over a decade. Does your city have a night mayor? Do you know?
Amsterdam is where it all started. What a shock! In 2014, Mirik Milan was appointed the city's first Night Mayor. His mandate wasn't to shut things down but to open things up. Under his leadership, Amsterdam introduced 24-hour venue licenses, streamlined mediation between residents and nightlife operators, and even turned abandoned buildings into cultural hubs. Milan did more than protect the club scene —he professionalized it, helping the city see nightlife as a strategic asset rather than a nuisance. He also helped launch the Night Mayors Summit, now a global gathering of urban leaders focused on nighttime governance.
In Dublin, Ray O'Donoghue—formerly the Sea Sessions music festival director—was appointed the city's first Nighttime Economy Advisor in April 2024. O'Donoghue's strategy focuses on safety, transport, mobility, and cultural activity. Initiatives under his leadership include the implementation of security guards on Dublin Bus services, plans for "safe waiting zones" for public transport, and expanding 24-hour bus routes. Additionally, cultural events like the Nocturnal Beats Music Trail have extended cultural events until 2:30 am in multiple venues, showcasing efforts to expand Dublin's nightlife offerings.
Philadelphia's Night Mayor, Raheem Manning (pictured below), brings an economic development lens. Manning has focused on making nightlife more inclusive, especially for LGBTQ2+ and BIPOC entrepreneurs, artists, and event producers. He's been instrumental in creating new pathways for small business owners to access late-night permits and support. Manning uniquely emphasizes empowering communities historically pushed to the sidelines after dark.
Meanwhile, in Ottawa, a city long labelled as not the most fun (sorry to my sister and her family), Mathieu Grondin—appointed as the city's first Night Commissioner—has taken cues from his experience leading MTL 24/24 in Montreal. Grondin's tenure in Ottawa is focused on balancing cultural vibrancy with urban planning. He's working to reimagine how office-heavy downtown cores can host events, pop-ups, and performances at night. He's also tackling nighttime safety and pushing for greater integration of public transit service with after-hours events.
In Venezuela, despite political instability, informal Night Mayor initiatives led by cultural organizers and community leaders in Caracas aim to reclaim public spaces through music, markets, and late-night storytelling events. These efforts are hyper-local and often grassroots, but they show how critical the night can be in fostering cultural identity and community resilience. All these leaders understand that the night economy isn't just about clubs and concerts. It's about jobs, safety, creativity, and inclusion. It's about transforming cities into places that work for everyone, regardless of the hour.
This brings me to my point: municipalities need to consider sponsorship as part of the playbook if we're serious about unlocking our cities' full potential at night.
We know how successful brands partner with food festivals, music tours, sports leagues, and business conferences. Why not the night? And no, I don't mean plastering logos across nightclub flyers. I mean innovative, purposeful partnerships.
The financial sector could sponsor initiatives for after-hours entrepreneurs. Tech companies could pilot public safety apps tailored for night settings. Mobility providers could fund free or subsidized transit from 10 pm to 4 am. Telecom brands could support real-time cultural experiences that bridge live and virtual participation. Insurance companies could provide back-of-house safety training for venue operators and staff. All of this builds relevance, equity for the brand, and actual infrastructure for the city.
Let's also not forget the massive potential for event-based sponsorships tied to the night. Think of city-sanctioned late-night markets, rooftop cinema series, street food programs, and even all-night art crawls. With the right policies, office towers could host cultural events on their unused floors. Downtown buildings could become galleries by night. City parks could double as safe, curated nighttime destinations.
So whether you want to secure the role as Toronto's new night mayor or are happy where you are, share your ideas for how sponsorship can be a key part of the future state. For this movement to thrive, it can't rest on municipal shoulders alone. It needs investment. It needs advocacy. And it needs brands that want to build something bigger than a campaign.
The cities that act now, by integrating sponsorship into the DNA of the night economy, will be the ones that shine the brightest.
Let's stop seeing the night as the end of the day. Let's see it as the start of something new.