Tbilisi street musicians may need permits, while restaurants need sound insulation

The mayor’s office of Tbilisi may introduce regulations for street musicians who might have to obtain a special permit for their activities.

This was stated by the head of the development project of the night economy in Tbilisi, Sergi Gvardzhaladze, to the Interpressnews agency. He believes that some street musicians are getting on the nerves not only of the people of Tbilisi, but also create a negative impression among tourists. Therefore, according to Gvardzhaladze, street musicians will need permits that will allow them to continue their activities.

 Sergi Gvardzhaladze did not say who will deal with the issuance of these permits or what criteria will be used.

In the same interview, Gvardzhaladze said that licensing will also be mandatory for restaurants that offer live music. Gvarjaladze explains the need for this compulsory licensing due to several restaurants in the historical districts of Tbilisi which disturb the guests of the capital with the sound of their live shows. Licenses will only be issued to restaurants that has been fitted with acoustic insulation.

“In many countries around the world the issue of live music is solved through licensing. That is, restaurants that are not able to provide acoustic isolation do not receive licenses. This issue should be resolved at the legislative level,” Gvardzhaladze said. According to him, one month ago Tbilisi was visited by one of the leading experts in acoustics.

“We studied the situation in a number of critical places for three nights. His first recommendation was that restaurant owners lower the sound volume, as overly loud music creates discomfort to customers at any time of the day,” says Gvardzhaladze.

The Tbilisi nightlife development project is an initiative of the mayor of the capital, Kakha Kaladze. According to him, the main goal of the project is to revive Tbilisi’s nightlife and to increase the capital’s revenue. In March, Georgian musician and TV producer Sergi Gvardzhaladze was appointed as project manager of the initiative.

However, the people of Tbilisi are skeptical about the mayor’s initiative, especially after law enforcement agencies, under the pretext of combating the proliferation of narcotics, raided several nightclubs and removed visitors using crude force.

Georgian Facebook users posted comments at the time such as:”Where are you, Kaladze? The night economy collapsed on your own head!”

In an interview with InterpressNews, Gvardjaladze said that the special operation carried out in night clubs had a serious impact on the club scene.

“The video in which our ravers were dancing near the parliament building during the protest caused by this very police raid was seen by millions of people around the world. From this point of view, the situation had a positive side. On the other hand, we all saw that we have a lot of problems that need to be resolved,” Gvardzhaladze stressed.

‘Night economy’ is a relatively new term and considers the activities of establishments operating at night from an economic position. ‘Night time’ should be understood not only literally; it includes the part of the day when most people finish their work day activities, such as work, study, etc.

The main component of the ‘night economy’ is night clubs, but it is not the only one. Cafes, restaurants, museums, live music, bowling clubs and other entertainment establishments, as well as transport and even pharmacies that work at night all form part of the ‘night economy’.

• Photo: Vladimer Valishvili