nattstart

Nattstart is a compound noun used in Norwegian and Swedish contexts, literally meaning the "start of the night." It commonly appears in event listings and marketing materials to indicate when night-time activities or venues begin after daytime hours. The term is informal rather than a formal regulatory category, and its exact meaning can vary by region.

In nightlife and cultural programming, nattstart marks the moment when late-night programs commence, such as club openings, concerts, theatre performances, or city-run late-night initiatives. It may denote a first performance, a late opening, or the official start of a night-economy segment. Its use is more about scheduling and promotion than about legal standards, and different organizers may set different clock times for what they call nattstart.

Etymology and usage notes: nattstart combines natt, night, with start, a borrowed English term. The compound reflects common patterns in Scandinavian marketing and planning language. Nattstart is more widely used in Norwegian and Swedish media and marketing materials than in formal regulatory contexts, and it may be unfamiliar outside those regions.

See also: Night economy; Late-night opening hours.