The City by Night : A Study on the Night-time Entertainment Economy in Tilburg, the Netherlands

Abstract

In this master thesis, I explore the development of the night-time entertainment economy in Tilburg, the Netherlands. What makes this subject particularly interesting to research in Tilburg is the city’s transition from a strong manufacture economy to a post-industrial, services oriented urban centre. The main research question that guided my inquiry is: What makes the night-time economy possible in Tilburg? To answer this question, I engaged in three months of ethnographic fieldwork. The account that follows in this thesis is the outcome of interviews I conducted with civil servants at the municipality of Tilburg, with bar managers and with the consumers of night-time entertainment.