White Night Is Coming to Ballarat for the First Time Ever

Inner city Melburnians won't be the only Victorian residents diving into a massive all-night arts bash next year. White Night is expanding in 2017, with the regional town of Ballarat joining the likes of Melbourne, Paris, Toronto and São Paulo as hosts for the one-night festival of dazzling light projections, interactive art, live music, performance and film.

Set to happen two weeks after the Melbourne instalment in February, White Night Ballarat will see artists taking over the town's city centre, public spaces, laneways, building facades, live music venues and parks for March 4, 2017. Of course, the event's globally famous use of light art will be the main focus, with large-scale projections set to give Vivid Sydney a run for its money. It's the trademark of the world-renowned Nuit Blanche project (of which White Night is a part), which turns cities around the world into glittering galleries for one night only.

The huge news was announced by tourism and major events minister John Eren on Friday, along with the reveal of White Night Melbourne and Ballarat's new artistic director — Australian dancer, choreographer, director and producer David Atkins. He produced the opening and closing ceremonies for the Sydney Olympic Games, so you could say it's not his first time at the large-scale, high-production event rodeo.

Watch this space for White Night Ballarat's nitty gritty program details.

White Night Ballarat is happening on March 4 2017. White Night Melbourne is locked in for February 18, 2017.

Via The Age.