The original party for night owls and insomniacs of all ages, Nuit Blanche is one of Montreal’s most prominent nights of the year. March 1st of every year marks the end of Montreal en Lumières and the beginning of Nuit Blanche. With over 180 cultural events taking place all over the city from performances, art destinations, gastronomic experiences and much more, Nuit Blanche has activities for all tastes and all ages. The majority of the night’s events are free and the city’s public transport and shuttle services run especially late. With 7 main clusters of events city-wide (the Olympic Parc, the Underground City, Old Port, Quartier Plateau, Mount Royal, Mile End and the Quartier des Spectacles) here are some of the most important activites to check out.
Free Outdoor Location
One of the most family-oriented locations of Nuit Blanche is Place des Festivals, where you will find the majority of free events. Activities such as the urban ice slide, a famous 110m-long slide, marshmallow roasting, fireworks and tons of free performances make Place des Festivals one of the best location to kick off your Nuit Blanche tour. You can expect the action to start at 6:00pm and to run until 3:00am.
Musée D’Art Contemporain
Starting at 6:00pm and running late until 3:00am, this year the museum will be hosting free admission to all of their collections, art workshops and tastings. With a stunning permanent collection and new exhibitions to be seen this is one for the art lovers. The museum is also conveniently just above Place des Festivals and is just a short walk away.
Place Des Arts: Film Screenings
Also located right next to Place des Festivals, Place des Arts will be screening the best films from the Fantasia Film Festival, held every summer in Montreal. Beginning at midnight up until 4:00am, the activities at this location will also include circus performances, bands, and art showings throughout the various halls of Place des Arts. The majority of shows are free and run anywhere from 10:00pm to 4:00am depending on the event.
Art Souterrain
By far one of the night’s most famous art shows, Art Souterrain is literally an underground art show within the Underground City of Montreal. Various art installations, performances and works will be displayed throughout the circuit. The show is also free to the public and makes for a nice break from the chillier outdoor events!
AQUART: Underwater Art Gallery
Quite possibly one of the most original Nuit Blanche events and definitely worth the line up, this show takes you scuba diving in an Olympic size swimming pool to see an art exhibition. Definitely one of the top 10 must see events if you can stand the wait!
Biodôme’s Moonlit Evening
Take a walk on the wild side this year and check out the Biôdome’s nocturnal side and walk through its recreation of four different ecosystems found in the Americas. With a variety of nocturnal species otherwise not very active during the day, Montreal’s most notable cultural center invites you to see what goes on overnight! Another event suitable for all ages. Try and get to this show early since every year the wait seems to get longer!
For more information about upcoming events happening on Nuit Blanche check out their website for maps, guides, tickets and shows.
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- Photo: Ulysse Lemerise
