A livelier Glasgow after dark is finally on the agenda, but transport, licensing and years of neglect still stand in the way, writes Herald columnist Marissa MacWhirter.

Wellness comes in many forms. Sometimes it means spending an hour sliding around a Pilates reformer. Sometimes it involves a tequila soda and a dancefloor.

Glasgow is nothing without its nightlife. Last week, while our attentions were engulfed in the fallout from the Union Corner fire, the city took its first step in trying to officially heal our broken nighttime economy. It’s better late than never, I guess.

Scotland’s largest city used to feel electric at night. Queues for club nights would wrap around the block, and a taxi cost less than two hours' wages. People from all over would journey to the city to experience the culture after dark.

It’s nothing short of a disgrace that today people feel forced to leave a gig at the Hydro they paid £200 for before an encore just to get home, in the UK's first UNESCO City of Music, for crying out loud. In addition to the weak late-night transport provision, the city has been hamstrung by a restrictive licensing culture, rising operating costs, changing habits post-pandemic, and a city centre model that still treats the night like a public-order problem rather than essential to our culture and civic infrastructure. It is also about the people who work, travel, and keep the city functioning at night – not just the folk out for a good time.

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