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Boyd Sleator

@boydsleator

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I like machines and creating progressive social change. Cofounder of @freethenightni find info here > linktr.ee/freethenightni

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FREE THE NIGHT IN THE GUARDIAN + JUDICIAL REVIEW UPDATE 🗞️

Last week, The Guardian took a deep dive into Northern Ireland’s outdated licensing system, the barriers it creates for our night time economy, and our ongoing campaign for reform.

The piece looks at the bizarre reality of a system where Lidl can spend more than £500,000 and six years navigating the licensing process to open a pub, while independent operators face huge financial and legislative barriers to opening new venues.

The article also features Derry-born DJ and producer @orla_cd, who signed our Open Letter calling for licensing reform, speaking about her own experience of feeling pushed out of Northern Ireland in order to pursue a career in music.

As Or:la puts it, while Northern Ireland is flourishing in so many areas, our nightlife continues to move backwards.

As mentioned in the article, our Judicial Review hearing scheduled for September has been postponed due to additional funding needed to meet the significant costs of continuing the legal action.

We remain committed to pursuing the case and pushing for meaningful reform of Northern Ireland’s licensing system. We’ll share more on next steps soon and what can be done to help.

Huge thanks to @ddavidrenshaw and The Guardian for shining a light on these issues, and to Or:la for lending her voice to the campaign.

Read the full article via the link in our bio 🌙 by @boydsleator

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9 days ago

Some wee freestyle fpv bits from today. #fpvfreestyle #fpv #fpvdrone taken in Belfast by @boydsleator

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4 months ago

Yeooo… #fpvfreestyle #fpv #fpvdrone taken in Antrim Technology Park by @boydsleator

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5 months ago

Wee bit of FPV proxy. #fpvfreestyle #fpv #fpvdrone by @boydsleator

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5 months ago

Ted giving it stacks… #whippetsofinstagram🐾❤️🐾 by @boydsleator

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5 months ago

Well that was a bit ridiculous… Free The Night 5th birthday sold out, every one of the djs played a blinder and we raised a nice wee chunk of change to put towards our court case. Thanks to everyone who came down. You’re all legends. by @boydsleator

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6 months ago

The big day is finally here! 💛

Come celebrate our fifth birthday tonight at @ulstersportsclub with @jordannocturne, @timmystewartmusic, @noelwatson_97, @hannahmcc___, @sophieeshaw and @hawkes_m.

We also have some cute FTN badges to give away for the first ten people through the door so get down early - doors open from 10.30pm!

Tickets available on the door for £10 and still available online via RA.

#freethenight by @boydsleator

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6 months ago

First 10 people in the door tonight to Free The Nights 5th birthday get one of our wee badges for free. £5 for everyone else. by @boydsleator

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6 months ago

Five years on, Free The Night continues to push for real change in Northern Ireland’s nightlife landscape.

With a major legal challenge ahead, the campaign marks the milestone with a special Belfast event, bringing together a strong lineup of local talent for the occasion.

All funds raised on the night will support ongoing work and upcoming legal efforts.

📸: @the_boyler by @boydsleator

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6 months ago

Campaign group Free The Night, and Holly Lester have formally begun a legal challenge following the Northern Ireland Minister for Communities’ decision to reject the findings of an Independent Review of Liquor Licensing. by @boydsleator

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8 months ago

2025 was much better once Ted existed. by @boydsleator

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9 months ago

The Four Fourcast — Episode 6 with Free The Night

For Episode 6, Max Heyraud sat down with Boyd Sleator and Holly Lester of Free The Night, the North of Ireland’s nightlife advocacy group and charity, for an essential conversation on the future of culture-led nightlife.

Belfast’s world-renowned festival culture doesn’t reflect a healthy club ecosystem that exists year-round. Instead, it highlights a systemic failure driven by policy: culture is celebrated in bursts, but unsupported in everyday practice.

AVA, described by Holly as “techno Christmas,” becomes a bittersweet homecoming, a weekend where the wealth of the North’s and Belfast’s electronic music talent returns briefly before heading back to the cities they now call home. It’s a reminder that outdated, conservative approaches to nightlife and cultural policy are steadily forcing creatives away from their own communities, exporting talent rather than sustaining it.

The Four Fourcast brings the conversations we’ve been having online into a longer, more detailed format, championing electronic music, club culture, and the grassroots communities that sustain them across Ireland and beyond.

Powered by @scopetickets by @boydsleator

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