ICNS.LX 2025

The 6th International Conference on Night Studies (ICNSLX) invites scholars, practitioners, and enthusiasts to explore the multifaceted dynamics of the global night. This year’s theme, Global Night: Past, Present, and Future, seeks to foster interdisciplinary dialogues on nighttime as a social, cultural, and economic phenomenon that shapes our world across temporalities and geographies.
Global Night: Past, Present, and Future
The night has long held a unique place in human societies, offering a space distinct from the rhythms and routines of daytime. It has been a realm for rest and recuperation, a time for creativity and subversion, and a setting for both solitude and community. Over the centuries, nocturnal practices have shaped and been shaped by cultural traditions, economic activities, and social interactions. Today, the night continues to be a site of transformation and innovation, serving as a backdrop for dynamic economies, artistic expressions, and contested urban spaces.
In an increasingly globalized world, the night reveals stark contrasts and interconnected realities. For some, it is marked by vibrant nightlife and cultural events that draw millions of visitors and generate economic value. For others, it represents the vulnerabilities of precarious labor, the challenges of public safety, or the environmental toll of 24-hour cities. Meanwhile, technological advancements, such as artificial lighting and digital connectivity, have redefined the ways we interact with the night, creating new opportunities and raising critical questions about sustainability and inclusivity. In fact, the answer to “how our nocturnal cities should be in the future” is emerging as an academic-institutional-community debate that is gradually spreading throughout the planetary geography.
The ICNSLX aims to explore these dynamics, fostering a comprehensive understanding of the night as a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. By bringing together diverse perspectives from around the globe, the conference seeks to illuminate how the night has been experienced historically, how it functions in contemporary contexts, and how it might evolve in the future. We invite contributions that critically examine the night’s role in shaping societal structures, cultural identities, and urban landscapes, with the goal of sparking meaningful dialogue and collaboration among participants.
Themes of Interest
We welcome submissions that critically engage with the night and its interplay with global processes, including but not limited to:
- Historical Perspectives:
- Evolution of nighttime economies and cultural practices.
- Night as a contested space in urban history.
- Historical transformations of nocturnal work and leisure.
- Contemporary Nocturnal Landscapes:
- Nightlife as cultural heritage and its disappearing venues.
- The nighttime economy’s role in urban regeneration and gentrification.
- Nocturnal social movements and activism.
- Future Directions and Challenges:
- Impacts of climate change and sustainability on nocturnal activities.
- The role of technology in reshaping nocturnal experiences.
- Policies shaping the night: governance, inclusion, and exclusion.
- Transnational and Comparative Perspectives:
- Nocturnal practices and identities in diasporic and transnational contexts.
- Globalization of light festivals and other night-related events.
- Comparative studies of nocturnal cultures across regions.
- Methodological Innovations:
- New approaches to studying the night, including mixed and visual methods.
- Challenges and opportunities in nighttime fieldwork.
- Ethical considerations in researching nocturnal communities.
Submission Guidelines
We welcome proposals for the following presentation formats:
- Oral Presentations: 15-minute presentations followed by discussion.
- Panels: Pre-organized panels with 3-4 papers addressing a common theme.
- Workshops: Interactive sessions exploring specific methodologies or topics.
Important Dates
- Abstract Submission Deadline: April 15, 2025
- Notification of Acceptance: May 15, 2025
- Early Bird Registration Deadline: June 15, 2025
- Owl Registration deadline: 20 July 2025
- Conference Dates: October 8-10, 2025
The 6th International Conference on Night Studies is an international event that aims to echo frontier research, artistic works and professional practices related to the study of the urban night in multiple contexts worldwide.
This event aims to be a platform for sharing ongoing or recent research, opening a critical and interdisciplinary debate, and boost e-networking, bringing together academia and society.
ICNS.Lx_6 will be held online from Oct 8th to Oct 10th, 2025.
ICNS is a collaborative effort of the International Night Studies Network (INSN) and the LXNIGHTS Research Group with the institutional support of the Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology (CIES-Iscte), the Interdisciplinary Center of Social Sciences at NOVA University Lisbon (CICS.NOVA), the Institute of Sociology – University of Porto (ISUP).
OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Manuel Garcia-Ruiz (February 1, 2025). ICNS.LX 2025. International Night Studies Network. Retrieved February 13, 2025 from https://doi.org/10.58079/1380x