Flinders Street Station will be transformed into a music amphitheatre, hosting a free concert under the cover of darkness at White Night Melbourne on February the 23rd 2013.
White Night Melbourne – the latest marquee event on Victoria’s unrivalled major events calendar – would see many of the city’s streets turned into pedestrian thoroughfares from 7pm to 7am. The first event of its kind in Australia will be a dusk-till-dawn celebration of music, art, dining, theatre, sport, fashion, film, design and performance.
Melbourne will join the ranks of 23 global cities – from Paris to Buenos Aires, Tel-Aviv to Toronto – in hosting similar all-night events as part of Nuit Blanche.
Creative Director Andrew Walsh said the layered program would feature more than 100 local and International artists, activities and acts across 35 sites throughout the city centre. “From torchlight tours at Melbourne Museum and an illuminated sculpture park at Birrarung Marr for families, to an exhibition of curated artworks held in an underground carpark, there will be something for everyone,” Mr Walsh said.
For the first time, many of Melbourne’s world-renowned cultural institutions – including Arts Centre Melbourne, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Centre for Moving Image, the State Library and the Melbourne Museum – will simultaneously open late into the night, boasting special programming, exhibitions and performances.
Free program highlights of the dusk-till-dawn major event unveiled include:
• giant glowing spheres floating on the Yarra River projecting images of love in Melbourne
• stages set upon rolling tram cars on St Kilda Road featuring circus and musical snapshots
• an inflatable cinema screen on Birrarung Marr
• a Melbourne Conversations series hosted by John Safran featuring discussions around literature and philosophy
• a giant outdoor dance event in Federation Square featuring hundreds of mirror balls and 12 different dance styles
White Night Melbourne will culminate with ‘Singing in the Sunrise’ – where musical acts and all White Night Melbourne artists will lead a procession from Flinders Street to Princes Bridge, to sing in the sunrise with attendees.
Mr Walsh who, with Right Angle Events, was awarded the Victorian Major Events Company contract to deliver the event, said White Night Melbourne would suspend the everyday as the city’s streetscape is transformed into a wonderland of sights and sounds.
“The White Night Melbourne experience aims to challenge people’s perceptions and get people to notice what they see and know in a totally new light,” Mr Walsh said.
Mr Walsh also announced frontman of The Cat Empire, Felix Riebl will be White Night Melbourne’s Music Director. At the ‘Theatre of Dreams’, Flinders Street Station will be transformed into a proscenium arched music stage featuring local bands and musicians. “I want to capture Melbourne’s wild music heart and encourage people to stay up all night and celebrate the deep blue magic spirit of this city,” Riebl said.
Melbourne’s passion for food and wine will also be celebrated, with dozens of dining options available, from fine dining on Southbank to a ‘Pop up Food Village’ featuring food trucks on Flinders Street.
The full program for the inaugural White Night Melbourne will be released next Thursday the 24th, and you can view the updates here.
For further details on the lineup, or to register for regular updates, visit www.whitenightmelbourne.com.au or check out their Facebook Page.
