Toronto City Hall illuminated at night

The midnight art marathon. 20th Nuit Blanche Toronto

Toronto has a rather unusual plan for tonight: keep the city awake and fill it with art. Nuit Blanche is returning for its 20th anniversary, turning public spaces and cultural venues into an all-night exhibition. The festival began in 2006, inspired by the overnight Nuit Blanche concept that originated in Paris in 2002. Since then, Toronto has presented almost 1,800 installations by about 6,350 artists.

This year's theme, 'Tomorrow's Memories,' takes a look backwards while imagining what comes next. It brings back selected works from previous editions alongside new projects exploring memory, nostalgia and change.

Toronto City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square are part of the programme. Couzyn van Heuvelen's 'Avataq' returns to Nathan Phillips Square, while Brendan Fernandes' 'On Flashing Lights' takes over the City Hall underground parking garage. Kelly Mark, Shelley Niro, Hiba Abdallah, Rhonda Weppler and Trevor Mahovsky are also participating artists. So, step out after dark, follow the art and see where the night takes you. Just remember, tonight's gallery doesn't close at 5 pm.