Nuit Blanche Montreal 2024: Plan your night around these must-sees

"Anything can happen at Nuit Blanche," says Valérie Morel, the project manager for Montreal's all-night art festival, and this year's edition is nearly ready to launch. Starting Saturday evening (March 2), there'll be more than 100 things to see and do for free: art installations, interactive workshops, performances, parties and more — activities that will be spread across eight neighbourhood hubs throughout the city, some running until six the next morning. 

"We want people to get out of the winter rut, so it's really a time to push yourself, to push your boundaries, to get out of the routine," says Morel, who set the curatorial theme for 2024: "What's your creative fantasy?" And when the party starts on Saturday night, she plans to hit as many Nuit Blanche sites as humanly possible. "I don't go to bed," she says with a laugh. 

Still, there are a few choice projects that she's especially excited to see, and if you're mapping your route in advance, you'll want to take notes, because Morel says these seven Nuit Blanche events are absolute must-sees. "Some of them are the definition of fantasy," she says. "Every year there's something I've never seen before, and that really makes me want to go."

Roller disco in a library!

Where: Goethe-Institut

When: 8 p.m. to midnight

On Nuit Blanche, the Goethe-Institut might be the only library on the planet where you won't get shushed. A roller disco will be happening in the stacks between 8 p.m. and midnight, so bring your own skates, or borrow a pair for free, and have fun zipping between the shelves while a DJ spins disco hits from Germany and beyond.

A library's always a smart place to visit if you want to learn something new, and to that end, the Goethe-Institut will be offering free roller skating lessons between 8-9 p.m. (Sign up online.) And if you want to keep the party going, Nuit Blanche is disco dreaming all over the city. There's also a silent "Disco Wonderland" happening at Ballet Hop! In Mile End; a live disco and soul review (Fantasy Fever) in the Quartier des Spectacles and a disco ice rink: the Nuit Blanche 2024 Skating Disco at Camillien-Houde Arena.

Be an Oscar-winning movie star

Where: NFB Space

When: 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.

For Nuit Blanche, museums and cultural centres throughout the city will open their doors, and the NFB Space on Balmoral Street is one venue that Morel visits every year. Saturday, the NFB will be offering loads of family-friendly programming, including a marathon of short docs and animated films. But the main attraction is a chance to live out your Hollywood dreams. Produce an animated short where you're the star. And while you're walking the red carpet they've rolled out for Nuit Blanche, experience an Oscar moment by taking a selfie with an actual Academy Award. 

Run away with the circus

Where: PHI Centre

When: 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

The PHI Centre in Old Montreal is another venue that's a perennial fave of Morel's. "They're extremely creative in what they offer, and it's always out of the ordinary," she says, and for Nuit Blanche 2024, they're throwing a free 18+ party dubbed Foire Fantastique. Expect carnivalesque vibes as you wander through the space. The event's being teased as a "travelling fair with strange characters," and the night's programming includes a bill of experimental performers and DJs. Once inside, guests are welcome to explore the centre's season of immersive exhibitions, too. (Free admission. First come, first served.)

Run away to the circus (and this time, bring the kids)

Where: TOHU

When: 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

The TOHU venue is unique to Montreal: a complex that's dedicated to the circus arts. But for Nuit Blanche, they'll be offering all kinds of entertainment, with a special focus on kid-friendly activities. Outside, you can go sledding, join a dance workshop or take a night-time tour of Frédéric-Back Park (on snowshoes). Inside the centre, find music, performances and art. There's a detailed schedule on their website.

See a 'multi-sensory' concert

Where: Édifice Wilder

When: 8, 9:30 and 11 p.m.

Alt-Escape is a new project from Video Phase, a Montreal-based company known for creating live, multimedia productions that mix music and interactive visuals, and for Nuit Blanche, they'll be presenting three 20-minute performances of the show. The official synopsis is more than a little mysterious: it promises digital spectacle, musical instruments that are invented "from scratch" and an "experience meant to be heard with the eyes."

"The description says it all and nothing," says Morel. "But that's why it's so intriguing." Space is limited, so you'll need to reserve seats in advance, and if you're lucky enough to score a spot, remember to stick around after the curtain falls. According to the event website, the audience will get a chance to chat with the artists and tinker with the digital instruments they've invented for the show.

Chill out at a museum

Where: PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art

When: 8 p.m. to midnight

Rirkit Tiravanija's Untitled 1996 is an art installation that doubles as a fully functioning rehearsal studio, and it's appearing at the PHI Foundation through March 10. On Nuit Blanche, five special musical performances will be taking place inside the piece. According to Morel, the lineup is hush-hush, although you can expect the sounds to be ambient in flavour. Visitors are encouraged to get cosy on the museum floor during the show. BYOB — the B is for blanket. 

Make your own work of art, and hang it in a gallery

Where: Belgo - Arprim

When: 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Home to more than two dozen galleries, the Belgo Building in the Quartier Spectacles is like "a mini Nuit Blanche within Nuit Blanche," says Morel. "I mean, you could just go there," she laughs. But of all the things to see at Belgo Saturday night, Corps Exquis tops her to-do list. The event is a hands-on printmaking workshop led by artists Dominique Desbiens and Reid Jenkins at Arprim. Learn how to make a print with the stamps they'll have on site, and then hang your creation in the gallery. Over the course of the night, a collaborative artwork will take shape: a mural of fantasy creatures. 

Find the complete Nuit Blanche program at www.nuitblanchemtl.com.