New Year, Solid N8W8 R'dam

Have a nice nice late New Year, look back and forward with us!

2025

What a great year 2025 was for us! Hopefully for you too, as we spread that positivity across the city as best we could. 

First with knowledge: a total of 11 events in all Rotterdam corners of the city (CUBE, WORM, Cult=Us, Skateland, Kunstfabriek, LantarenVenster, the Bieb and so on) with 30 to 100 visitors per event and 250+ consultations with people of all sizes and shapes. 

We also gave the Rotterdammers themselves a big send-off, thanks in part to the efforts of N8W8 R'dam, the Night Bus (F.K.A. the Bobbus) returned in 2025 and new places, such as Export, Sonoor and Offbeat Records, opened their doors to welcome all those lovely Rotterdammers. 

Attention to our priorities was not to be missed, 2025 counted two speeches to the city council, one priority agenda we offered to electable Rotterdam political parties, and alerts on licensing procedures, the culture transition and nightlife in M4H.

A special milestone was September, as Thys was promoted as chairman and officially named night mayor of Rotterdam. This stemmed from the municipality's Night Plan (2024). Proudly, we all stood and gloated when alderman Said Kasmi told us about what team-N8W8 has achieved so far, and about the great things to come. 

In the process, Rotterdam nightlife was on the front pages of magazines and newspapers. Project subsidies were increasingly applied for and awarded to night makers and organisers, thanks in part to our collaboration with Rotterdam City Council (in the form of De Nachtdienst). 

And now we're going to take it easy for the next year

...

i go stuuuuuk (sike?)

2026

N8W8 R'dam remains solid. So you know broadly what to expect in 2026; our main goals remain actively contributing to a safe and accessible nightlife, and strengthening the visibility and position of R'dam nightmakers and organisers. The big question, of course, is how we approach these goals this year!?

Not so unexpected are the regular events: three drop-in evenings for all your questions, concerns and chatter, three programmers' meetings for your big and small musings, and two city talks for the all-important themes. Scratch your diary all full already, the phenomenal venues, dates and some tickets can already be found in the annual review!

The content of the events will remain a secret for the time being, but we would like to reveal one already; as is tradition, N8W8 R'dam, in collaboration with the Maassilo, Operator and Lokaal Rotterdam, is organising the Election Debate on 11 March, a debate focusing on municipal elections from a different, younger and fresher perspective. In preparation, take a look at the priority agenda we drew up together with the sector and offered to the various parties eligible for election in 2025 (https://n8w8rdam.nl/kennis/).

Furthermore, N8W8 is expanding as an organisation, as we usher in the year with a Supervisory Board on hand. First, three supervisors will join N8W8 R'dam (more on this later), but this number will be expanded in the future. After all, a solid organisational structure helps us to sustainably work towards a vibrant, safe and accessible nightlife - as well as working on our sub-goal World domination.

Research and advice are also flying over the counter again in 2026. For starters, the study on the economic impact of the night in Rotterdam is in the works and will be presented during this year. 

In conclusion

Just to give another small hint of the 2026 veil: there are exciting plans on the agenda for the Door Policy Panel, our Supporters and the Night Agenda. Via the site (www.n8w8rdam.nl), the socials and the newsletter (ps: sign up here in!) you will be up to date with our antics all year long. And reachable we are anyway! Call, email, text, ping, post pigeon us for anything or for nothing at all. 

We are going to turn 2026 upside down inside out. 

Big love,

Yours truly,

Team N8W8 R'dam