Following a successful debut earlier this year that drew crowds of more than 300,000 into the Melbourne CBD, the 24 hour creative arts and music festival White Night will return for 2014, reports TheMusic.
The all-night event will take place a day earlier next year, running from 7pm Saturday 22nd February through to 7am Sunday 23rd, and will once again see a diverse of projects ranging from arts, music, theatre, film, and street art taking place in and around Melbourne, involving its most iconic scenery and landmarks as they stay up late.
This year’s inaugural White Night was considered a huge success by its creators and organisers, with Premier and Minister For The Arts Ted Baillieu first announcing plans for a 24 hour festival – similar to Paris and Montreal’s – in July 2012. The results saw Melbourne’s museums, libraries, arts and theatre spaces opening up late, keeping its public transport running around the clock, and a unique selection of bands in an ever more diverse array of venues kicking off around the city. Bands, musicians, and artists that want to be part of “shaping the canvas of a Melbourne White Night” can apply directly with the festival…
The full programme boasted over 300 local and international artists performing in more than 80 free events across 40+ CBD sites and venues across a 3.5 kilometre region, from the National Gallery of Victoria through Flinders Street Station, Federation Square, Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne Museum, all the way to the State Library and beyond.
As the official website points out, bands, musicians, and artists that want to be part of “shaping the canvas of a Melbourne White Night” for its 2014 edition can apply directly with the festival, with expressions of interest open “in mid-August,” for projects that can be “almost anything, as long as it’s original.”
Last year’s music program, curated by White Night’s Music Director Felix Riebl, of The Cat Empire, putting together a concert stage outside Flinders Street Station where bands played well into the early hours of the morning, including Bombay Royale, Eagle & The Worm, World’s End Press, Hiatus Kaiyote, and a feature set from The Cat Empire themselves – with footage captured at the event used in the band’s own video for single ‘Steal The Light’.
As the intriguing pedestrian traffic visual graph demonstrated, nearly 300,000 people flocked the streets of Melbourne for this year’s White Night debut, a result which Artistic Director Andrew Walsh was very pleased with, previously telling The Age that he was interested in expanding the footprint for the event’s future editions. “It’s amazing in terms of the response from Melburnians,” he said following the February launch, “we can grow the event much further into the city.”
White Night is also up for an accolade as part of the Helpmann Awards, which recognise high achievements in the live performance industry, and take place tonight at the Sydney Opera House, where the Best Special Event Award will be presented to White Night Melbourne, Victorian Major Events Company on behalf of the State Government of Victoria.
White Night Melbourne 2014
7pm Saturday 22 February to 7am Sunday 23 February 2014
Expressions of interest open mid-August.
For more information head to whitenightmelbourne.com.au
