Events: Brighton and Hove’s White Night Festival 2011

When anarchy and creativity take over a city and it blossoms into this

There’s no better way to celebrate the changing of the clocks this weekend than with the twilight spectacle that is White Night Festival. The arty community of Brighton is coming together again for the nocturnal event, with a variety of bizarre things to do during the middle of the night. This year’s theme Utopia sees more than 70 separate events spread across the city.

The Old Steine Gardens is holding an alternative village fete, with stages and stalls featuring deco tea rooms, swing dancing, vintage glamour makeovers, midnight rituals and food flinging Olympics. Expect ghouls, kitsch popstars and rocka-hillbillies!
Boogaloo Stu’s Pop Magic wants you to collectively write, record and a produce a pop single and lip-synched video, alongside a flashmob dance routine. The finished video will be online within hours. The Boat Project will be held in the gardens too, where you can design your own boat, build and race it, without stepping off dry land.

White Night’s sister festival is Nuit Blanche Amiens in France and local musicians L’Arrache will blend modern music, traditional influences and a theatrical performance on Walkabout, West Street.

With Halloween just around the corner, the festival proves the right atmosphere for Stories from the Churchyard, at St Nicholas Church. Watch as the dead and buried inhabitants come back to tell their real life and death stories in the amazing setting.

Nordic Giants will give a very special finale at 6am on Hove Bandstand. Their cinematic performance, with a reel of short films and live music is uplifting and haunting. The duo will herald the new day’s sun and give an ethereal farewell to the night. With so much to see and do, you’ll definitely be in need of that extra hour.

Various venues and times across the city, for more information, and for a full events programme, please visit www.whitenightnuitblanche.com, 29 October