Ronda

We will be in Paris October 3 which is the date of Nuit Blanche. Can you give me any ideas what this will be like? Will Paris be crowded for this event? What happens? One year we were in Paris in late November and there was a light show on the City Hall and I am wondering if it will be like that - light shows on different buildings.

We have plans to take a river cruise that evening. Will there be lots of lights on the buildings besides the usual spotlights? Or should we do the cruise another night and just walk around?

Thnx

StuDudley

We were in the Marais once during Nuit Blanche, and lots of places that are not normally open - were open for visitors. Huge crowds & lots of partying - but that's kinda normal for the Marais. I believe that the "festivities" are planned by the specific arrondissement. You are staying in the 7th near the Eiffel Tower - which is sort of a "laid back" area and you might not encounter much going on.

See you on the 5th.

Stu Dudley

Ronda

Thank you. Yes, looking forward to the 5th!

Christina

I've been there for that, it's just a lot of performance type special events or activities. The year I was there for that, a lot were outdoors (say around a train staton or something) and due to crowds,you couldn't really see much anyway.

It is some major festival that draws huge crowds to Paris just for that, if they weren't going anyway. They have these in other cities, also, actually. That is just a very busy time of year in many capital cities, including Paris.

There is an entire program of the special events, they vary a lot, it's not light shows in particular. Lots of performers or performance artists, special installations, mainly contemporary artists, etc. It usually has a theme for the year, this year it is climate or environment or something and is mainly on the north side of Paris. I don't think it is something planned by each arrondisement, I think it is planned by the city government, they are the ones who set it up and hire the director (and it was started when Delanoe was mayor). But that doesn't really matter. That's why this year it is mainly only in the north (another year it was the Left Bank).

I think this is the program http://www.evous.fr/Nuit-Blanche-a-P...e-1136517.html Although I'm not sure they really have that updated for this year.

flygirl

I was there last year. It was a rainy and somewhat chilly evening. My friends I was with were still jetlagged and not convinced going out in the weather was worth it.

I went to a few things and was decidedly underwhelmed. Had I not been alone it would have been a different experience, maybe, including that I would have dragged myself to a few more things than I did. I also wasn't in the mood to deal with either walking or public transport. It sounds like a great idea, though.

Judy

I am flygirl's jetlagged (older) friend....in the rain, I did not regret missing the installations. I did enjoy curling up in my warm bed and got up the next morning ready to take on Paris!

flygirl

I should have done the same, Judy! Although the one installation was near my flat and was pretty.. albeit again, underwhelming.

manouche

Nuit Blanche used to be a big deal but really isn't worth bothering with unless you're really interested in some of the artists. The streets are definitely not teeming with people unless there is a giant crowd around a certain installation. There will be a few more people out later than usual but not a large number.

Most things are small and located in courtyards. We went to one a couple of years ago that was really hyped-up - ended up in a back courtyard looking at a soap bubble machine stuck in a tree with blinking Christmas lights. I guess that was somebody's idea of art.

manouche

As for the lights and river cruise, check the official program. I don't ever remember anything like the light shows in Lyon or Reims, for example. The night cruise is very nice at any time as long as it isn't raining.

Ronda

Thanks so much for the information on Nuit Blanche. I just loved the light show on the City Hall the year we were there in November and was hoping for something like that especially after looking at Kerouc's pictures of the light show on a church. Paris is beautiful at night no matter what!