Originally passed in 1926, New York City’s Cabaret Law is an actively enforced ban on dancing and musical entertainment in any “room, place or space” that sells food or drinks unless those spaces obtain a special “cabaret” license. As a relic of Prohibition, the law first came into being as a means to police speakeasies, though now the long-standing Cabaret Law may finally be on the way out.
The law has been controversial for years, though it has survived multiple attempts of repeal over the near-century that it’s been in place. However, Brooklyn city councilman Rafael Espinal hopes to change that, as he’s introduced a bill to finally repeal the Cabaret Law. The bill will be voted on Tuesday, though Espinal is confident he has the 26 voted need to pass it, telling the New York Times, “It’s over.”
As a representative for Brooklyn, including Bushwick which contains a number of bars and D.I.Y. venues that host music regularly, Espinal argues that the law keeps bar and club owners “living in fear” and that it forces what could be safe gatherings underground and into potentially more-dangerous spaces. Currently, of the 25,000 establishments that sell food and drinks in the city, only 97 have a cabaret license. The low number is somewhat unsurprising, given that requiring a cabaret license costs time and money—in order to be approved, several agencies must approve a request and a venue must be zoned for commercial manufacturing.
The history of enforcement of the Cabaret Law is spotty, with former Mayor Rudy Guiliani reviving the law in the 1990’s as a means to shut down dance clubs. In recent years, Mayor Bill de Blasio has cut back on enforcement of the law, and a spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio noted that “The mayor strongly supports repealing the law.” However, the spokesman also noted that mandatory security requirements for larger venues that were added to the law in the past 15 years, such as mandatory security cameras and certified security guards, still need to be honored and maintained.
[H/T New York Times; Photo: Patrick Hughes]