A Sleepless Night In Paris
What is Nuit Blanche?
Nuit Blanche, translated to Sleepless Night in English, is an all-night arts festival that takes place over the entirety of Paris. Yes, it goes on ALL Night, so get your espresso ready because you won't get any sleep. This festival goes from 7 pm to 7 am on October 1 - 2.
The art festival originally started in 2002 as a way to get citizens and "resident expats to shake off their post-summer sloth an get out and enjoy the city" according to TimeOut. It became a method of getting people to interact with the city in a creative way.
Each year the festival has a theme for the festival-goers to the think about throughout the night. This year the theme is centered around a story of "beauty, mystery, and love." Night owls will be following in the footsteps of an illustrated Italian novel hero named Poliphile. This hero of the Nuit Blanche is in pursuit of Polia, who he is madly in love with.
Image Credit: Flickr/GhislaineMeicler
Where Is It?
The exhibits featured during Nuit Blanche follow the path of the Seine, and are in all twenty arrondissements. Each arrondissement also has a mini theme that contributes to the larger theme of the event, so each place you go gives you something new to experience. Also some museums are also free and open to the public during this night. They feature their own pieces from local and international artists, in order to contribute to the festival.
What Do You Need To Get In?
Guess what? This whole event is free! There is no charge in order to experience what Paris has to offer on Nuit Blanche. Just bring yourself, an open mind, and a readiness to explore.
Image Credit: Flickr/ToyaK
Transportation For The Night
The metro lines are free for the night and also have changed hours. While most lines operate at their usual hours, Line 1 and Line 9 are open from 2:15 am to 5:30 am. These metros were chosen because of their closeness to the exhibits around Paris. Also, just in case you can't hang until seven in the morning, when Nuit Blanche ends, you can always hop on a metro home. Night buses are also running until 5:30 am, so you have more than enough options for transport.
Midnight Snacks?
There is no doubt that you will be hungry after roaming around Paris for hours and seeing all these expositions. Luckily for you, on Nuit Blanche, almost thirty different restaurants and food trucks are open all night. This way you can stay energized for more interactive exhibits through out the night.
Image Credit: Flickr/JackmanChiu
Nuit Blanche is sure to be an experience you won't forget, so I highly suggest going. Even if you go to one or all twenty arrondissements, don't pass up an opportunity that is literally feet from your doorstep. Go out and get to know a different side of Paris.
Image Credit: Flickr/Nattyplatypus
