Light in the darkness: Urban nightlife, analyzing the impact and recovery of COVID-19 using mobile phone data

City nightlife supports a significant part of our social interactions, enhancing social wellbeing and community-building dynamics. COVID-19 impact on nightlife has been particularly dramatic and expanded over time. Few studies have analyzed this impact, and nightlife recovery remains even less explored. This study examines the post-COVID-19 recovery of nightlife using mobile phone data in Kyoto (Japan) and Madrid (Spain), two cities with different culture and whose urban nightlife was heavily impacted. A detailed spatiotemporal analysis of the nightlife activity in both cities is conducted. The methodology is based on the estimation of the hourly presence of people over the course of the day, with a particular focus on evening and night hours. Kyoto, heavily dependent on tourism, faced a more pronounced and lasting impact, experiencing a decrease in the average presence of people in tourist areas by 51.9 % during COVID-19 and by 19.8 % after COVID-19. Despite fewer constraints, revitalizing nightlife in Kyoto proves challenging compared to other sectors. Madrid reveals a shift in urban dynamics following the pandemic, influencing the utilization of different areas within the city, increasing the average presence of people by 15.5 % in the weekend activity area, from Monday to Thursday.