She refuses to talk about a group of party people, because her vision is broader. In politically correct jargon, the city of Rennes prefers to speak of “night owls committee”. From January 2024, this citizen body will have the mission of reflecting on life in the Breton capital at night. The scene of big student parties sometimes drowned in alcohol, the city center of Rennes has often been described as a party mecca. For better, but also for worse. In an attempt to “live intelligently” as its slogan says, the socialist municipality had created a “night council”. Made up of elected officials, local residents, bar owners but also the police, firefighters and the prefecture, this body had the mission more of managing nocturnal nuisances than of enlivening the nights. Its new “night owls committee” aims to be different and aims instead to enliven the night time with activities that are usually closed.
“Our desire is first of all to give users a voice,” explains Cyrille Morel. Deputy of Nathalie Appéré, the elected socialist has seen practices evolve since he inherited the management of nightlife. Particularly since the pandemic, which had confined residents to their homes. “Today, we see that people want to be outside, regardless of the weather. We feel a desire for other forms of celebration that we didn’t know existed. Look at taverns for example, they are wildly successful even though we weren’t talking about them a few years ago.” It is precisely to try to “capture these trends” that the municipality wanted to consult its residents and ask them what they expect. What will come out of it? We will have to wait until 2024 to find out.
A few dozen kilometers from Rennes, the Nantes neighbor seems ahead of its rival sister, in particular because it considers the night as “an additional living space”. “Usually at night, we do what we want. Party, sleep, walk, go to a concert, play sports, watch TV at home. It’s up to everyone to decide. It’s a chosen life, not a constrained time,” says Gildas Salaün, delegate to the city at night. In 2017, the city of dukes was the first in France to celebrate night weddings, which continue from time to time on Fridays, without the demand overflowing. “It’s a change of habits, a different relationship to evening time. For a wedding, the joy is the same but the ceremony is different, more intimate,” continues the Nantes elected official.
This nightclub decided to open early
Thinking about the time of night does not necessarily mean staying up later. On the contrary. In many areas, it is more evening activity that tends to diversify. Let’s return to Rennes. It is here that the Club 80 nightclub made a daring choice, deciding to open at 10 p.m., and not at midnight like all its competitors. “Our clientele is mostly 40 to 50 years old so they go out earlier. And when you want to go dancing after a restaurant, there isn’t much,” explains Anthony Lafon-Pertois. The co-manager of this club, a fan of 1980s music, assures that certain customers are “waiting for the opening in front” of the establishment. “Generally, they leave around 12:30 a.m. or 1 a.m. We then see younger people arriving.” Someone who has worked as a bartender for a long time ensures that the atmosphere, especially at the start of the evening, is easier to manage. Less alcoholic, more respectful, it convinces many women who do not always dare to go out to more traditional clubs.
For cities as well as for associations and businesses, the idea of enlivening the night time has become particularly reinforced in recent years under the effect of global warming. On hot evenings, many urban dwellers enjoy going out when the coolness is finally felt. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a balcony or a garden. We have seen municipalities open their parks all night, although they were used to closing them to prevent them from being squatted.
Along the same lines, we can see gyms open all night, running races organized in the dark and museums bustling every night. What about the businesses then? Should they be opened in the evening to attract other customers? Rennes does not seem to be moving in this direction. Nor does Nantes, even if its elected representative asks a real question. “If when you get out of work and everything is closed, you are not allowed to go shopping or do your shopping? I am not asking that we open until 11 p.m. but I think that reflection must be made, even if it is complicated for the independents.”
This work of animation and diversification of activities should not, however, make us forget that certain night activities are to the detriment of those who do not wish to take advantage of them for anything other than to sleep. Cohabitation is not easy to manage, especially in dormitory towns that are not used to coming to life once the curtain falls. “There is work to be done to deconstruct preconceived ideas about nighttime. We must maintain a security and prevention policy so that everyone feels good there,” assures Gildas Salaün.