I attended the Scarborough site of this 12-hour festival with a few people. Somewhat underwhelmed by the 2022 celebration of 11 displays set up here at Scarborough Town Centre Shopping Centre, Albert Campbell Square and Scarborough Civic Centre. It was my fault as I should have attended the event between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. as recommended by organizers. That's when most people are not crowding the displays and one gets an opportunity to really take in the meaning of each exhibit as "the Artist" would have wanted me to! At 7 p.m., there were too many people buzzing about and the noise level was like a bee hive. What I did absorb was intriguing! read more

See all

Visited the Scarborough's Town Centre venues, and again in the 2022 edition: very meager offerings. There is a community that wishes to engage interesting, vibrant cultural events in the suburbs, but installations were passive projections without impact or scales, little to none audio components. The most interesting piece was a projection and audio piece adjacent to the Civic Center Public Library. For all festivals in the city this year, Luminato, TIFF etc this period is the 'comeback year's for all ... So with that caveat, it was mildly interesting to walk around at night in a mall, without having the context of shopping see and feel the spaces anew. read more

Last time it was good was 2016. Since then they've made it too big, too lame and effortless and it's more of a tiny Tom's street food fest sadly. Corp took over and it's lost its charm. ​​ read more

I was not really impressed with Nuit Blanche (2018) this year at all. I do have an appreciation for art, and this was the first time I had time to go to Nuit Blanche and I was kind of let down. I arrived around 9:30/10 PM and the line ups were longer than expected. I had to pass on some exhibits just because I would be lining up for 2 hours. They have some interesting, local, thought-provoking artists. At the same time none of these pieces were really the big and overdone types from years before. The evening was getting chilly so luckily I had a warm jacket. The streets are also PACKED. If crowds are not your thing then pass on this event for sure. They had a dumpling festival this year too - but that was a bit underwhelming and long lines. It was nice that some restaurants and cafes stayed open all night to accommodate the event though. I'm not sure if I'd go to Nuit Blanche again next year. read more

See all

Nuit Blanche is definitely kind of a cool event to have so many streets car free so people can walk around. Just a good feeling when the pedestrian overtook the streets of Toronto. I find the "Art" aspect of Nuit Blanche was just meh. The bigger exhibitions have such a long line up, not even worth my while to wait. Great that they set up areas where different food trucks set up for business. Not too many interesting things that worth seeing. But luckily the weather was nice and great night to wander around the city. I don't know if I will attend again next year? Maybe if I am down in the city? But definitely not going to make a special trip just for that! read more

It was my first time at Nuit Blanche this year and I was super duper excited for art crawling around the city, though I heard that this particular year, it would be a little smaller since ScotiaBank is no longer funding this event! The event had a lot of large pieces and interactive art all over the city, but it was very spaced out! In the event that they were in buildings, the lines were super long to go into the buildings - we waited about 20 minutes for one of them and we moved maybe 30 spots ahead. I definitely appreciated the volunteers, artists and performers who stayed up all night to showcase their event! It was very unique and brought a strong message across to the city! I came pretty early though, mainly because I get tired pretty early on and I've also heard the later you go, the more it becomes an event not suitable for all ages! read more

See all

Blach. I'm not sure if 2-stars is a fair rating for NB overall but it is just for my experience of it. In the 4+ hours I walked around I didn't see much because 1) things were spread out and not so well marked and 2) we really just walked without making too many stops. Trudging through the swarms of drunks exiting the bars really exhausted me too. I will give it another shot next year but I really hope they organize things a little closer together and separate from the club district if holding it on a weekend night. Maybe next year I will start later if the weather is better. read more

See all

This review applies to the art displays/performances in the distillery district only as the weather made our group go home early. The art galleries were OK your regular mixture of interesting to mundane exhibits. The performance arts (if we can call them that) were sub-par. One performance consisted of a person walking on a stair master with music playing in the background with a lot gadgets tapped on his bodysuit and then after a while started cutting off these digital accessories. My interpretation was he was trying to be an analogue person in a digital world! phew that was a mouthful. The next art exhibit was a person standing up on pedestal with flags and landing lights on space ship looking metal object signaling someone to land. OK moving on to the next "art" exhibit this person had an synthesizer connected to an old car making odd sounds. Having had enough of these art performances we decided to visit the food trucks and guess what there were more people there than the art area with huge lineups at every station. My friends wanted to try the Agave Yucate truck so we lined up and tried the food items that were not sold out already. After fueling up in cool weather we decided to come back to the performance area now there was a lady performing cirque du soleil style acrobats. OK I guess but I am not sure it qualifies as art. If you catch my drift art for the sake of art doesn't appeal and a "bigger crowd" at the food trucks is already an interesting satire on the way this world is . A lot of art/performances had hardly anything to say. I guess its a good way to get the people out before everyone bundles up for upcoming months of bad weather but I am not sure it achieves the target they set out. read more

I guess since ScotiaBank no longer sponsors Nuit Blanche, the quality went down. There are less exhibitions this year. The big ones are by City Hall or around that area, otherwise the other exhibitions are complete disappointment. Honestly I went this year just to practice nighttime photography as the weather was quite good. But my friend and I walked around for 1 hour and basically saw 2 exhibitions... Instead of art, you see random people openly having a rave in the middle of street.... I kinda don't see the art in people grinding each other but sure.. to each of their own lol. read more

See all

That night the temperatures had dropped to close to 0C. It was pretty darn cold out and was due time to bust out the winter gear! Our little group started the night at the Distillery District. We all grabbed dinner at the Food Trucks event, perused the independent galleries and then warmed up at Cafe Uno before heading downtown central where most of the action was taking place. We saw 2 Nuit Blanche art installations that night : 1. The Heart Machine on Bay St. by Christine Irving & Interactive Art of Toronto. The crowds were completely surrounding it. we had a good view of it across the street though. The heat that it blew off was intense I could feel it up the sky orange. We had some fun posing around it, taking some comical shots like fire blowing out of your head, or bending over. It was classic! 2. We then went to City Hall to see the Flightpath Toronto display. Extravagant I'd say.. the metal scaffold towers were about 1 story high all lit with a rainbow of colours. The scene looked industrial. We had amazing view of this all atop of City Hall. Laser lights were projected around at first glance it could be a rave, with the only thing missing was the music. Pretty daring of those folks willing to strap themselves in the harness to fly across the lines. I liked what I saw, surely there are some rowdy people that come out but it doesn't distract from this amazing evening that happens in our lovely city once a year. read more

So I have done Nuit Blanche for the last two years (three if you count the one where I was working) and I have mixed feelings about the event. On one hand it is a chance for the city to revel and see some art. Highlights this year included the giant cherry picker trees, artscape youth at 180 shaw ( a really cool building) and the ability to text Syria from Trinity Bellwood's park. The downside is the giant crowds. I walked from yonge and dundas all the way down to Queen West and there were absolute hoards out. Especially on Queen West , this meant hat any of the smaller exhibits were just impossible to see. So in short , its a decent night with friends but if you don't like crowds avoid the bigger areas or stay home. read more

Disappointing. The exhibits were so spread out I only made it to two. Plus they weren't very impressive compared to previous years.

This year was okay! I did see an alley of food trucks and some very cool looking exhibits I've seen to date. They did update the Toronto sign to incorporate some face photos and they have a booth to get your face on the poster. I do recommend going every year to see the evolution of art in the city! I do wish they have more sponsors and stands for hot chocolate since the night is so cold. read more

Nuit Blanche - At Nathan Phillips square! - Festivals Near Me

Nuit Blanche has become too popular. Before you brand me an anti-populist hipster, hear me out. In the years since Nuit Blanche first hit Toronto, our fair citizens (and the organizers) have forgotten that it is actually an exhibition of modern art. You know, that stuff that sits around collecting dust in galleries and museums that people tend to ignore most of the year? Nuit Blanche is supposed to be That Same Stuff presented in a new an exciting way: by turning the city into an open air interactive art gallery and at night. At night! How radical. But really it's just a drunken stampede. During Nuit Blanche the streets are noisy and teeming with people trying to get their art on. And I hope it doesn't sound like I'm wearing a monocle and smoking a pipe as I write this: but that's not what art is about. Sure, I like the notion of taking esoteric pieces and making them public and accessible and free, but as the time goes on Nuit Blanche has turned their focus on spectacle. I remember years ago, I was walking down a quiet street in Alexandra Park and came upon an ordinary house, illuminated from the inside with mysterious silhouettes dancing in the windows. There was some ethereal music too. It was subtle and interesting. This year, people were zip-lining across City Hall. I didn't go because I heard the queue was enormous. Line ups? For art? Forget turning the city into an art gallery, this is like Canada's Wonderland. The litany of disappointing exhibits you hear about is inevitable. Art doesn't have an immediate and recognizable "payoff." It's something to be experienced -- like a meal, not a snack -- and unfortunately I think the din and spectacle of Nuit Blanche makes it a terrible environment to experience art. Let me repeat that for the art lovers like myself: Nuit Blanche is a terrible environment to experience art. It's still fun to walk around and check out the spectacle. I enjoyed seeing The Darcys play "Smells Like Teen Spirit" over and over and over again at Toronto Underground Cinema, and the Heart Machine at Bay and Elm was definitely grandiose and appealed to my inner pyro. I thought it was a bit Burning Man-esque, and sure enough it was there last year. Don't get me wrong, I think a lot of the exhibits are cool. It's just the crowd and crowds that are getting me down. This is an event with the potential to show people really extraordinary pieces of art and have them appreciate it in a really unique way. I guess Nuit Blanche succeeds on the former point, but in the latter it fails. Now to go polish my monocle. read more

What's with all the haters? You should be lucky that your city even thinks of something interesting and interactive like that. I lived in SF for 5 years and i can't even think of anything even close to Nuit Blanche My friends and I had a fabulous time exploring the awesome exhibits and installations. We took the subway everywhere with our awesome $10 unlimited buddy pass. If you were caught up in the craziness of Dundas Sq, well, Newsflash, there're plenty of other installations, exhibits ALL OVER DOWNTOWN. No one's forcing you to hang out by Dundas Sq. And for complainers who whine about exhibits being spread out- that's the whole point, dummies. If you thought Dundas Sq area was bad, imagine squeezing ALL the exhibits into One area. Geezus And for goodness sakes, do some research before going. And if you don't enjoy contemporary art, we don't enjoy your Ikea bought mass produced posters you hang on your walls and pretend they're original. So there. And if you really hate NB/crowds...just stay at home and watch a boring movie and quit taking up space on the streets and subways My faves: - #58: Singing in the Dark 80s Edition in TIFF Bell Lightbox. Absolutely fabulous. It was like a karaoke interactive show for 40 mins. Too much fun. We sang along so loudly that i swear we lost our voices - Free Shop: Interesting concept and good use of a bus shelter - $5 Lobster rolls @ LUMA What an awesome concept to get everyone out in the streets at night for an amazing art experience. Great way to enjoy the last decent weather before Winter sets in AGAIN. Eeeeks read more

Just came back from a lacklustre night at Nuit Blanche. Sigh. After last year's debacle, walking around the yonge street area, and feeling disappointed at the large ratio of distance + actual art installations. Also, I didn't like that the Yonge/Dundas and environs was mainly full of just kids causing trouble, as opposed to actual Nuit Blanche searching for art. So my new strategy this year was to go straight to the Queen West area. Well, Since I live at Bloor and Spadina, I thought seeing some things up here would be worthwhile. The Nuitblanche website came out with a great way to organize your night and plan your route. They also have an app, but I still prefer the old school paper. You get books and maps along the way, but be careful, the description sounds so much better than what it actually is. So to tonight - I'm Not sure if I'm getting old, or what, but already walking to Queen street, I was already tired and ready to go home. But no, I forced myself (and AT) to trudge through to my planned route on Queen St. Unfortunately, there were huge gaps of nothingness, and you lose your motivation to see any more. I felt bad for dragging my first timer friend and gf out on this. The maps are deceiving, and not to scale. It makes it seem like things are close together, but in fact they're not. And I realized, anything good to see, there's usually some sort of line up. I hate line ups. We made it to Queen and Spadina, and discovered a few things. Like some art galleries, a maze made out of tin cans. But nothing really stood out (except the multiple art installations at the Gladstone, and a gallery with magnetic sculptures). But again, walking all the way to Landsdowne, it was more walking than actual passing by of art. I was searching for things, and when we found it, there wasn't enough explanation to make it meaningful. One place was supposed to have a performer, who left. At least the crowds in the Queen West side are more to my liking and not just out to cause trouble. I look at the map again, and see most of the COMMISSIONED art projects are in the downtown core. but I can just see all the crowds and who knows what chaos might brew over there. At the same time. ALL the ones that I picked on Queen st was independent projects. but they were a little disappointing. It's unfortunate that they all sound great on paper, but in reality could be hit or miss. Dammit. I wanted to give the festival another try. This is my 3rd year going, and last year wasn't any good either. Although, despite the crowds, I do feel we had a more interesting time. The 1st year was the most memorable. Things were close together. I remember most of the exhibitions. Queen and University, there was something - Queen and Beverly. - Harbord and Beverly - 401 Richmond - U of T had a lof of random things - and Liberty village was full of things. What happened to putting things that were within walking distance? Isn't that the point of having Zones in the first place? Maybe next year - the strategy is to go to only the commissioned projects. It's probably that the artists are renowned for something, and likely worth seeing. I guess I will just have to prepare for the crowds. And staying up til 6am, is just not something that I can do anymore! It's only 1:30am and we've only been out since 8:30pm. Omg I've getting old! read more

Nuit Blanche, just like art, is a case of you get what you give. This year was no exception. You have to do the legwork to reap the rewards from this event. Faves this year included the "Day for Night" performance in the Trinity Church behind the Eaton Centre. Essentially the "Hard Day's Night" film slowed down and stretched to 12 hours. Housed in a gorgeous church with beautiful lighting and a live string quartet score that (unintentionally?) paid homage to the composer Morton Feldman with a glacial score. This was both haunting and a reinterpretation of the film. Amazing. Of course, playing gong in the Sight Unseen exhibit with Lee Ranaldo was a personal highlight. Feedback and looped images in the old City Hall courtyard felt like being inside one of Sonic Youth's guitars. Amazing. There are so many more to mention, Erik Satie's Vexations was a great use of the BCE place space. I'm sure more will come to me later. Of course there were epic fails (OCAD. WTF?) but it's art right? Another phenomenal year that hopefully will return. read more

It is what it is for a lot of people - a drunken crawl. And as annoying as it is stumbling across the occasional adult drunk and the numerous underaged ones, I don't let it stop me from going to my favorite celebration of art. Think of it this way... It is a unique concept and it happens in Toronto! People elsewhere are wowed when I tell them about it and they wish their city was this cool.... Okay! Maybe not. But it is fascinating for me. Verdict? I plead every mature individual to come out to this event ... More of us, less of drunks! read more

I've been reading and hearing a lot of negative bruhaha all over the interwebs about this year's Nuit Blanche, too many people, too many drunk people, that it's become too commercialized, there wasn't as much quality art or enough pieces outdoors, not enough traditional art, too much weird art, etc., etc.. Wah-won. I have to say I disagree... almost all of the art I saw was outdoors. And I felt there were many stunning pieces. But then I did do a little research before hand, knew exactly which pieces that were "must-sees" and planned ahead. I also sought out some of the lesser-known art, done by independent artists... and I still managed to see most of the sponsored pieces I was interested in too. Yes, I did notice it was busier this year but I didn't let that impede my enjoyment of the night. Granted, Queen Street West was a little ridiculous busy at times and I avoided areas like the club district downtown (common sense people!)... but I'm glad this is generating so much attention... it can only mean more sponsorships, more artists and more creativity for the next year. I knew what to expect traffic/TTC-wise, based on last year, and pretty much walked everywhere... next year I may bike though bc my feet are still sore. Was it perfect? No. Were there douchebags out? Yes. Were there a lot of amazing people out too? Damn skippy. Did the amazingly inspirational pieces outweigh the odd drivel here & there? Hells yes. Was if fun? Hells to the motherfrakking yes. What it comes down to is that Nuit Blanche is what you make of it. It's an event for everyone, yes, even the common-folk... it's not some fancy-shmancy elitist art show for richie mcgees only. And c'mon guys... it was FREE after all. A few memorable pieces for me were: The Big O (giant floating, spinning circle of film) Auto Light (van perforated in patterns and emitting light) Those ginormous clowns (I felt like I was in Gotham City and the Joker was playing a trick on Batman) The burlesque show at Gladstone A random bondage show I discovered in Parkdale The fireshooting stage in Liberty village The civil rights showcase at Lamport stadium and Sadie's Diner... for staying open all night xoxo. read more

This festival was fantastic. I came on the weekend of my business trip in training in Toronto. There were installments throughout the city and street performers. The most impressive display was near the giant Toronto sign where there was a glowing hot air balloon and popup art installments/shows. There were also indoor displays, such as a tent inside with lighted changing scenery. There were buildings with lightshows outside and lots of places where architecture blended into art displays. There were performers such as a guy throwing fire standing on a rod, and slam poetry etc. read more

See all

My first time experiencing Nuit Blanche and from the get go I was really looking forward to it. There is nothing like this back in England and if there was we would get charged for it, so I think that Torontonians should count themselves lucky. There were enough projects to appease to all tastes, so really not excuse to not check something out. Nuit Blanche was great fun, and I managed to see some amazing projects such as: Heretical Objects - imagine a park covered in hundreds of lit up balls End of the World exhibition - took place in the parking lot below the City Hall and this is where things got weird(er). PLUS many others! Since I am not an arty farty type my main choice of projects involved the ones I could take good photographs off. Some I saw were pretty rubbish but even rubbish passes for art these days and I blame the website for not providing a better idea of what to expect. Overall though the website for the event was good, and proved to be a great way to plan my night. The mobile website was also good although the map function did not always work well. I found getting around the city was done best on my cycle and after originally setting out at 9pm I decided to return home and head out at 3am instead. The streets at this time were not as busy, there were no line ups and everything was much easier to photograph. I suppose its good to say thanks to the information volunteers walking around in white jackets but it is pretty tough when after talking with three of them every time I kind of got lost that they also seemed as lost. I look forward to next year's event, and to see what else they have on show for now I am going to get my calves massaged to relive the aching from all the cycling I did. read more

I have not been to Nuit Blanche since it started up a few years back. From what I remember, it was hectic with insane crowds but some interesting exhibits. Last night, I ventured out to see how much the festival has grown since it is inaugural years. We headed out around 9pm and the streets were packed. We headed to our first exhibit and there was already a long line. We made a rule to avoid any exhibits with long line ups. From last night's experience, the crowds were even more insane. We saw some cool exhibits. Worth the night out in the cold, not sure. I was taken back at how many young teenagers were roaming around free and drunk. Luckily, we turned the night short and headed home around 11pm. We might go again next year but to the zones that away from the downtown core. If you have yet to experience Nuit Blanche, it is worth checking out at least once. Just make sure you are not claustrophobic! read more

what a night. this is the most exciting event in the city. two thousand and eight was the first time i went to this. this event is a downtown wide event that takes place towards the end of october each year and the festival just celebrated its third year. (i think). what happens is there are hundreds of exhibits all around the city. the city is divided into quadrants/sections, and the events that are scheduled are performance events, art showings, installations, and so on. so, for example, one group took over toronto city hall, the eye of toronto, and converted the sides of the two halves that face each other into huge computer screens. in other words, there were some kind of automated lights behind each and every window of the building that, together, created images of a boxer or of the old school video game pong. on the west side, in and around liberty village, i watched some guy in a chicken suit, chicken/bird mask, in a carnival like trailer enclosed with windows on all sides (except the bottom and top) do drawings of real chickens that were inside the trailer with him. his cellphone number was written on the window so you could call him. one guy did and asked him to do the chicken dance. other highlights included a continuous waterfall coming from an abandoned building, a material object destruction extravaganza where the artists took things like guitars, tvs and so on, and dropped them to the ground from a really tall height. it was amazing how much people were cheering. the event lasts until the wee hours of the morning, so you have to sleep during the day or something to keep up. its a huge night of traveling and getting people out to celebrate the city and its creators and i love it. read more

See all

I attended Nuit Blanche for the first time this year (along with Drake, no we didn't go together) and it was not that bad. It was chilly and it usually is because it takes place in the fall so that kinda took away from my experience. My hands got cold from repeatedly taking my hands out my pockets to search the map for our next destination. It was nice meeting different people and viewing the art. There were pieces inside different museums like the ROM, interactive pieces, live ones, pieces that were outside and so on. I was very happy when I learned there would be food trucks there, it was nice to stop and get a quick snack while doing all that walking, plus there was always some street meat (sausages) not too far away. My favourite piece was at Queen's park and it was called Automobiles. There were about 6 decked out cars (think Fast and the Furious) and all of their sound systems were hooked up to one another becoming a single unit and they were all connected to a DJ playing music that got everyone jamming! I mean EVERYONE, the young, the old and everyone in between. It was like a street festival!! I also enjoyed a piece called Horses. I wasn't quite sure of the concept but I enjoyed seeing all the horses. I don't think I will go to Nuit Blanche again mainly because its so cold but I am happy I have experienced it myself. I believe everyone should go at least once, especially art lovers! read more

In it's short history Nuit Blanche had become one of my favourite cultural events in the city. Even a disastrous 'last date' a few years ago was redeemed by the spectacle and general weirdness of the evening. Who cares that your heart is breaking when you can see a giant reflective bunny in the middle of a shopping mall, or random four-letter words pulsating in the City Hall courtyard. When those letters mocked me by fluorescently humming the word "LOVE", I knew I'd find someone else; I bucked up and finished the evening like a trooper, pausing to absorb each work of art that I encountered (although the port-o-john sensory garden was still kind of odd, and my resolve weakened in front of a giant slurpable pool of vodka in the middle of an office tower). I don't know whether it was this year's exhibits, the different company, or whether I've just grown cranky in the years since that evening, but somehow this Saturday night seemed less special. We traced our way from the AGO through downtown; detouring along Queen street before heading down Bay in order to grab a late-night subway train. Things started out well enough at the AGO. A Neil Young cover band provided inspiration to a group of dueling painters; Iron Chef for the artsy set, I guess. At first, I thought the musical selections were inspired. I was less impressed by the second Neil Young cover band leading a sing-a-long outside Heintzmann House. This was the theme of the evening; to my untrained eye, a lot of the work seemed repetitive; all reflective surfaces and loud music and ambient sound effects and bright lights. We felt assaulted by art, rather than engaged by it. Prime City Hall real estate was taken up by a light show, some fog machines and, to quote one member of our party "the flying idiots" who rappelled from scaffold to scaffold, clutching awkward looking 'wings'. WWE puts on a better show; and you know who to cheer for. Said fog and noise and lights were used to much better effect further down Bay Street, where searchlights followed us around an office courtyard like we were on the lam. For a kid who grew up on action movies, this was the best part of the evening-a chance to play. The Eaton Centre's contribution was just kinda there; a series of panels designed to catch sunlight, but reduced to reflecting lightbulbs after the sun had set...perhaps a miscalculation given that this was an all night event set for October. Roaming raves formed across the evening. I don't know why. Ditto for the drum set in the middle of the plastinated car. The Katy Perry inukshuks were pretty awesome, though. read more

Nuit BLAH! Every year there is less art and more people. They used to have installations through Yorkville on Bloor and all the way down Yonge to King street, or maybe even Front. The core of downtown used to be packed with art and you didn't have to walk very far between pieces. This year was very sparse. The fun house was a waste of time to check out. Great to see the digital music guy at city hall was back again this year. At least the weather was nice this year compared to last. read more

Yay to citizens retaking town. Boo to uncouth behaviour and one-trick pony art. Crowds. Didn't get to see any indoor installations as the lines were always 1+ hours long. Garbage/vomit everywhere. Yes, I could have came in the wee hours of the night when most have gone home, but then I would have missed such idiocy like Kent Monkman's lame performance art piece in Yorkville. Wait... that would have been a good thing. The projection on the ROM's exterior is reminiscent of the wandering sheep projected onto the Planetarium the first year Nuit Blanche came to Toronto. I liked the sheep. Drunken people everywhere. The whiff of pot hung heavily in the air in many corners. What gave this night a 2 star rather than 1 is how Torontonians reclaimed the night by providing their own commentary on the streets. 3 girls dancing in the window of a pizza parlour, exhibitionists mimicking the silliness of some of the performance art. 6 guys perched on top of each other mocking a mediation piece. I also had fun imagining that the crowds taking over Yonge Street were like hordes of zombies taking over town. I actually think there was one year where was was some sort of art thing near Yonge and College where people were dressing up like zombies. Maybe next year. Maybe not. read more

This was my first Nuit Blanche and I wasn't really impressed.....I'm all about art and free art at that, but this was a bad showing. I had no intention of attending NB at all, but I kind of stumbled into it as I left the ACC seeing the Leafs win a pre-season game. I felt more like the art piece then anything I saw. I entitled it "Leafs Fan with a fragment of hope". I agree with Shaye S, a flea circus would have been more entertaining. I only saw the exhibits that didn't require a line...I'm not waiting 40+ mins to see something that my 10year old nephew could have done for art class. Maybe this would have been better if my beer buzz wasn't wearing off..... read more

How can anyone turn down a night of strolling the streets of Toronto. Meaning, here lies the perfect excuse&room for EVERYONE to hang and as a bonus...check out some art and.....wait for it...FO FREEEEEEE!!!! I noticed while walking out of the Eaton Centre that this years theme must be focused on Robotics or A.I lots of the volunteers will gladly give you a summary of the technology used in the projects. The strangest one was the arm robot that scanned your face and then displayed the pixels of your face according to colour, then that program's transfers to another program converting the coloured pixels to sound. So your face makes music. Literally. Mine sounded like a dying cat. Old cat. Then another piece was an electrical wing of some sort that was attached to a zip line sort of wire. A lad got in and basically zipped to the next tower. The distance wasn't long or anything. It was just 2-4 large towers at Nathan Phillips SQ. Lots more pieces focused on installations run by lighting, sound, reflection. One movie that was playing was extremely horrifying. I have no idea what the theme or underlying moral of the story was. But it was obscenely sadistic. Another cool installation was the ball with triangles that balanced 2 people on it. There was one instructor and the other was a volunteer. The volunteer basically had to mimic the instructors foot place position and push the body weight to a certain angle and as the ball turned, it would land.- I just reread this and realised how horribly nonsense it sounds. So, I'm going to opt for "ya had to be there" . Once the crowd got all riled up, the cool jersey shore kids started to get involved and well... that's when someone got hurt. Anyhoot. The event was fun but nothing too crazy. The cold didn't really bother me because..well... in the end.. we live in Canada. I still don't understand why people claim 'surprised' when it gets cold. It's like the news sending out "surprise" snow alert in December - yea...it sort of happens every year kids. So as I strolled some more through the Toronto streets in my military style jacket, ever-so faithfully loyal rain boots, ear muffs and scarf... I did find myself saying " I live in the greatest City". So thank you Toronto, for giving the art kids a chance to feel super special. Even if some of them aren't really that great. Just sayin. Until next year. Wrap it up folks. xoxo M. read more

I finally had a chance to attend Nuit Blanche... Highlights: - FREE! Can't beat that. - Vast selection of art work. I agree with other yelpers in that some of the art work were not the best, but some were pretty interesting. The key is to stick to the independent projects rather than the ones sponsored by the city. - Open to the public until sunrise! - Excellent for people watching! Tips: 1. If you don't like the crazy crowds, it's best to hit the streets after 2am. 2. Stick with the independent projects. 3. Wear appropriate footwear as this event involves a lot of walking. 4. Plan your route ahead and make sure to map out resting stations. read more

Lost much of its original lustre. Ridiculous lines, too much walking to see minimal amount of exhibits. Tons of residents and dullards from the burbs turned it into a poor version of a pub crawl, obnoxious drunk 20 yr olds. End it already. read more

Brilliant! Everything about this concept is genius! Nuit Blanche is literally an art exhibit that is displayed throughout the city that lasts from Saturday evening through the break of dawn on Sunday morning. Public transportation runs at full force, food trucks are out, music is going, the streets are packed...it's a city wide party that lasts all night. Maps are given out with the names and locations of each exhibit (which there were about 100 or so) so you can easily find specific pieces of work. I've heard that things had gotten out of control in the past, but on this particular night I didn't witness anything like that. The vibe in the night air was awesome, I had a blast! Oh yeah...the reason why I didn't give it a 5....the artwork itself. Ummmmm let me say that it was "interesting".....uh...."creative"......yeah....those words will work. A couple of examples of the art was: 1. A dude behind a glass solving a Rubik's cube. 2. A room filled with blue light with a bunch of people lying on the floor. Other than the unusual exhibits, Nuit Blanche is a great idea. I wish that we had something like this in Dallas! read more

It was curiosity that got me to participate in Nuit Blanche again after 2 years of hiatus. Started to head out at about 8:30pm and already, the streets were packed. There were line-ups at almost every indoor exhibit and the cold weather didn't encourage any patience from me. My plan was to travel the circuit along Yonge from Front to College, make a turn back towards City Hall, Ryerson U, OCAD, AGO, TIFF, and then back. I abandoned trying to figure out what each number corresponded to what. The crowd became more and more dense around the Dundas and Yonge area. I couldn't understand why everyone was congregating at one place when all the art exhibits were spread out. There was nothing in particular that was memorable that comes to mind. There were street performers, live music, random "wtf-is-that" on the streets, drunks, rain simulation (really?), light/laser show, chip-tunes, drunks, human tetris, prison escape, movie in a bank vault, random books, walking on water, firey heart burn, and drunks. I spent 5-10 mins at each non-crowded exhibit as if I had ADD. As for the food vendors along Yonge, it was like a mini-Ex, selling hot coffee, burgers, roasted corn, Tiny Tim donuts, funnel cake. I don't recall this from the previous year. Also, O&B featured a special $5 dish at each of its 5 locations for the Nuit Blanche. Called it quits at 3:00am. Surprised I even lasted this long on a numbing cold night. Won't be back for at least a year or two. read more

I went here two years in a row. The first year was freezing cold out, but the weather was better the second time. That has an effect (on me anyway) how long you want to stay. This event is spread out all around the city, which makes it great for wandering with friends or on a date. The exhibits change every year, so you never know what you're gonna get. Go with a plan, or plan as you go - either way is great. Some areas (e.g., Yonge/Dundas) get super busy, so it can get tricky to wander with bigger groups. read more

Nuit Blance was my first exposure to accessible art - the inspiring sights and the connection I felt for the first time between an artist and the audience - really was what lead me years later to Burning Man. Official 2011 Toronto Burning Man Decompression Curious about Burning Man? or been and desperately missing home? We have the cure for what ails you! Official 2011 Toronto Burning Man Decompression Party and Art Fundraiser This event generates funds for the local arts community (such as the Heart Machine featured at Nuit Blance) Saturday November 12th -- 99 Sudbury St. Workshops starting at 2PM - Main Event at 9PM-4AM - Final admittance 1AM Expect: Burning Man Information Centre Gifting Greeters Workshops -- Starting at 2 PM. Art -- A minimum of 10% of each ticket sale will go towards this year's arts grants. Two Rooms of DJ's & VJ's Live Performances -- Random Acts of Spectacle & Weirdness all night. . . Outdoor Fire Show! Cash Bar Tickets: $20 early bird online until October 21 $25 offline and after $30 at the door Online at http://torontoburningmandecompression2011.eventbrite.com/ Also available at: Center of Gravity/Side Show Cafe Shanti Baba Fairies Pyjamas This is a Leave No Trace event. If you'd like more information about Burning Man visit http://www.burningman.com/ or for information on the Toronto Burner scene http://burnon.ca/ read more

Cool vibe as the downtown core shuts down a bunch of roads to traffic so pedestrians can explore the city and see some cool pop up art. Even if your not into the art the steets look so cool with only pedestrians and people partying. Two problems with this are, the art tends to be so far apart and only a few really are worth seeing. read more

I love the art museum, and I like popping into galleries from time to time but I don't really understand art. With that in mind, Nuit Blanche didn't really do it for me. Most of the exhibits were just a bit odd (walking through a tunnel with 'rain' pouring down?). I did like the Soon, 2011 exhibit but other than that everything was just a bit underwhelming and half of it seemed to just be blatant advertising. The crowds were insane and seemed to be dominated by 14-18 year olds. I won't be going back next year, but I guess I'm glad I checked it out. I do like the concept of Nuit Blanche, just not the execution. read more

This is the second year I attended Nuit Blanche, the first time I just walked around for an hour with friends and saw some crap and then called it a night, so I really didn't have a good impression and after going this year I think it's one of the dumbest things I've ever been too. A flea circus would be more entertaining. It is so spread out over Toronto making it difficult to get to and then there are 40 min lines. When you finally get into the area of interest there is usually something there I wouldn't naturally stop at in general, something people want to call "art" but it's as interesting as the scribbles my 5 year old nephew does. I think it is so sad that something with a semi- good concept is such a disappointment. Placing red blinking lights directed at a big rock and playing a thumping heart beat sounds is not art... taking twinkle lights and placing sensors at the end with a vibration system and faux light bulbs is not art... I wouldn't decorate a party with that crap let alone believe it possible to have to stand in a line just to see it, such a disappointment.... rigging a piano to play is not art... it's cool that the keys are moving, but it's not interesting, they could have made that really cool, make an indentation in the piano chair as if someone is sitting, move it once in a while, just to startle people... I mean Halloween is on the way right. We also went to The Bata shoe museum, nothing overly interesting there except for some of the shoes that are actually there on a regular... There was a street party on Queen with which consisted of people just being drunk and dancing, nothing special... Bellwoods was funny though, there was a party there and the stereo system was powered by two bikes. That at least was interesting and functional. There was some house somewhere on the walk to church st. that had gay porn either playing in every window or on the side of the house, not to sure how it was hooked up but it was good for a laugh. The pictures on the Holt Renfrew building were stupid. Pictures of random people collaged and projected onto a building is not art. All in all Nuit Blanche is pure hype, and it's boring as all hell. The only good thing really was the extended drinking hours, and walking in the streets. They really need to showcase some real art next time. All in all, maybe if you are a photographer it is worth it to go to this just to take pictures, you can get some good angles on the stuff they claim is art, and maybe actually make some. Never again. read more

I'm a big Nuit Blanche fan and have been going every year since it started. Although a lot of people hate it on it, I rather enjoy what it brings it in our city every year. I did a student exchange in France for a year, and although I think Toronto is the best city in the world, I think something we really lack here (and in North American in general) are events that everyone can enjoy (i.e. events that aren't based on a certain ethnicity or sexual orientation), that are free, and bring people out of their houses and away from their TV/computer screens to socialize with their fellow citizens. It is especially important for young people to have events like this that don't (necessarily) involve drinking. Yes, there were people getting intoxicated, but it was also quite nice to see the streets full of young people after 2am that were doing something other than stumbling home drunk after a night of binge drinking. Yes there are drunken idiots and people who aren't respectful, and those people should be called out, but that's also part of life. When you have an event that appeals to all different demographics, you're going to get all kinds of people out. Unfortunately, I do have to say that I was unimpressed by the quality of the exhibits this year. Other than the globe exhibit near Spadina and the maze near the Black Bull, I found most of the exhibits to be uninspiring. I'm not sure if there wasn't enough funding this year or if the artists weren't as good, but the lack in quality compared to previous years was noticeable. However, when I was getting food and on my way home at 5:30am, it made me smile how full the streets still were, and how happy people seemed to be to just be out and and enjoying their city at this strange hour. I love Nuit Blanche and am looking forward to next year already. read more

From performance art to the atmospheric, sound art to visual installations, Nuit Blanche is an event that grows in popularity in many cities each year. Taking place literally all night, people can wander from one side of the city to the other observing, experiencing and even participating in art exhibitions ranging from secret subway tunnel vibrational drones, giant grasshoppers taking over a park, a post office where you can send a postcard to a stranger in the future, giant webs of stretchy string, and impromptu "house parties" with live bands set in public parks. read more