Copenhagen looking to curb its nightlife’s noise and rubbish

As number of permits being granted to late-night establishments and outdoor events increases, so have the complaints

“Ain’t no party like a Copenhagen party ‘cuz a Copenhagen party don’t stop … “. No seriously. It never stops. Ever.

Formidable nightlife in Copenhagen city centre, inner Nørrebro, Vesterbro and Islands Brygge has led to skyrocketing complaints about noise, rubbish, bad smells, loud music and party-goers on the streets.

Now, the city mayor, Frank Jensen, has extended an olive branch to those citizens disturbed by the vibrant nightlife of the capital.

“We need to turn down the volume of the nightlife,” Jensen said.

“Copenhagen should remain a city with a lively nightlife, but it must be possible for citizens to move about safely and be able to sleep at night without drowning in noise, filth and trouble.”

READ MORE: Small shops quitting Copenhagen’s main pedestrian street

Permits and compaints soar
Yesterday, a majority at City Hall agreed to order the two administrations responsible for permits and cleaning – Kultur- og Fritidsforvaltningen (KFF) and Teknik- og Miljøforvaltningen (TMF) – to make a plan aimed at reducing the disturbances.

In 2014, TMF received 687 complaints, but over the first nine months of 2016 there have already been over 1,000 complaints – mostly lodged during the summer period.

The number of permits granted to establishments allowing them to stay open until 02:00 and 05:00 has also been on the increase in recent years, while the number of permits granted to outdoor events across the city has soared by 67 percent since 2010.

Last month, it was revealed that noise and rubbish were among the reasons why increasing numbers of smaller shops and specialty merchants were abandoning Strøget in Copenhagen.