Former London night czar Amy Lamé founds consultancy 24hr Cities
The former London night czar Amy Lamé has founded a new global consultancy called 24hr Cities.
Lamé, who served as Mayor Sadiq Khan’s expert on the capital’s nightlife, received a £132,846 salary by the end of her tenure at City Hall and stepped down in October 2024.
But her time in office saw London’s nightlife venues suffer a spate of closures, with one report by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) finding more than a quarter (29 per cent) of the capital’s clubs shut their doors for good between June 2020 and June 2024.
Now the BBC Radio 6 Music DJ has launched a new venture, with her LinkedIn describing her as “founding director” of 24hr Cities, a “global consultancy” since December 2024.
As first reported by the Spectator, Lamé describes herself on the social media platform as “the first ever Night Czar for London and the first in the UK”.
She said for eight years she “worked in partnership with stakeholders to ensure that London thrives as a 24-hour city, keeping it vibrant, safe, and diverse from 6pm to 6am.
“I am a specialist in night time policy, engagement, strategy, and diplomacy, and I have established this unique local, national, and global leadership role for the UK’s capital city from 2016- 2024.”
Of her work at City Hall, she adds that she was “tasked with ensuring London thrives as a 24-hour city, working in partnership with businesses, local authorities, the Metropolitan Police, Transport for London and communities across the capital”.
Lamé’s bio on Instagram also describes her as “founding director 24hr Cities”, and she said in a comment shared with CityAM: “It has been a real privilege to serve Londoners and deliver for the mayor, and I’m deeply proud of what has been achieved in the face of so many challenges.”
Emma Best, deputy leader of the City Hall Conservatives, said of Lamé’s new venture: “I wish Amy well in her new business adventure. However, I’m sure Londoners will be wondering, as I am, what advice she could possibly be charging to give.
“Sadiq Khan and Amy Lame oversaw London’s declining nightlife in near silence and so it is hard to imagine any client willing to pay for a similar service, especially if she is charging them the six-figure salary she demanded of Londoners.”
Michael Kill from the NTIA added: “Amy Lamé’s tenure as London’s Night Czar came during one of the most difficult and unprecedented periods for the capital’s nightlife.
“From the challenges posed by the pandemic to the ongoing pressures on venues and operators, this was an extraordinarily testing time for anyone in such a pivotal role, but sadly we are judged on our results.”