With just over 24 hours before the inaugural White Night Melbourne is unveiled, Melbourne is preparing to stage Australia’s first ever all-night arts and cultural event,
Tomorrow night Saturday February 23, over 300 local and international artists performing in more than 80 free events across more than 40 CBD sites will transform
Melbourne’s city streets, laneways and landmarks from 7pm till 7am.
Premier and Minister for the Arts Ted Baillieu said the bump-in for White Night Melbourne – the newest major event on Melbourne’s enviable calendar – was in full swing.
“From Flinders Street Station in the final throes of being transformed into a proscenium theatre, to hundreds of mirror balls transforming Federation Square into a giant dance-floor; from art installations in NGV International to Birrarung Marr, White Night Melbourne is going to transform the city like never before,” Mr Baillieu said.
White Night Melbourne will encompass a 3.5 kilometre area from NGV International to Melbourne Town Hall, and will include Flinders Street, Swanston Street, St Kilda Road, Federation Square, Southgate, Birrarung Marr and the Yarra River.
Major cultural institutions including National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Centre for Moving Image, the Arts Centre Melbourne and the State Library will be open throughout the night, while Melbourne Museum will stay open until 10pm.
The news of White Night first came six months back, where Baillieu promised that ”the city’s galleries, theatres, music venues, laneways and major cultural institutions will come alive with a range of special events and programs – from the grand to the intimate.” And since the appointment of The Cat Empire’s Felix Riebl as the event’s Music Director, music fans have been waiting patiently for details of the White Nigh Melbourne program.
The lineup thus far includes dance instigators World’s End Press, future-soul sensations Hiatus Kaiyote, the Bollywood surf-rock hybrid Bombay Royale, energetic 8-piece The Eagle & The Worm, Rockwiz Orchestra and guest singers, and, of course, The Cat Empire. (Let’s hope Mr. Edmonds has sorted out his soundproofing before then).
For more information head to whitenightmelbourne.com.au
White Night Melbourne Music Lineup
Saturday 23rd February, 7pm-7am
The Cat Empire
World’s End Press
Hitaus Kaiyote
The Eagle & The Worm
Bombay Royale
RockWiz Orchestra and guests
Uptown Brown!
Bob Sedergreen Trio
Flap!
Bobstretch
Nina Ferro’s Band
Marc Hannaford Trio
Peter Baylor’s Ultrafox
+ MANY MORE
Melbourne’s tram network will also be running throughout the night, helping making traveling to and from White Night Melbourne easy for visitors.
