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.
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 was held online from 9-10 October 2025.
ICNS was 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).
ICNS.LX 