January 31, 2011 – This coming February 26, starting at 8 p.m., the city will kick off its longest and most intense night of annual festivities during the MONTRÉAL HIGH LIGHTS Festival. Five hubs of entertainment—Old Montréal and the Quays of the Old Port, the Quartier des spectacles and downtown, the Plateau Mont-Royal and Mile End, Maisonneuve as well as the Underground Pedestrian Network—will be showcasing an array of activities to attract and entertain creatures of the night up until daybreak.
The Nuit blanche (or Montréal All-Nighter) features more than 175 activities, for the most part free, in a number of interior and exterior venues, some of which have been transformed for the event. A quick perusal of the program reveals visits to museums, the Botanical Garden or the Biodôme by night, or outdoor movies at the Places des Festivals. The program will also be jam-packed with artistic shows, multimedia installations, underground art, gourmet food kiosks, sports activities, special exhibitions, artisanal workshops, one-of-a-kind concerts, light shows, live painting… you name it, there’s something to relax you, thrill you or inspire you—all through the night!
Already recognized for its vibrant nightlife, Montréal really pulls out the stops for the Nuit blanche and its growing number of merry revelers (more than 200,000 night owls in 2010 alone). And there’s always an ambiance to match the activity; whether you’re seeking something energizing and exhilarating or something low-key and relaxed, you’ll find it all during these nightlong festivities.
To help participants get from one hotspot to the next, the metro stays open through the night and a free shuttle service, offered in partnership with the STM, brings festivalgoers from site to site, beginning until end. Tried and true nighthawks stay right until the last activity at dawn, capping everything with breakfast in the company of thousands of other “Nuit blanchers”. Later, they make their way home to a dreamy sleep, heads dancing with memories, in the welcoming arms of Morpheus.
