The Long Night of Museums (or the Night of Museums) is a cultural event where a group of museums and cultural institutions in an area cooperate to remain open late into the night to introduce themselves to new potential patrons. Visitors are given a common entrance pass which grants them access to all exhibits as well as complimentary public transportation within the area.
The first Long Night of Museums (German: Lange Nacht der Museen) took place in Berlin in 1997.[1] The concept has been very well received, and since then the number of participating institutions and exhibitions has risen dramatically, spreading to over 120 other cities throughout Europe. The idea has been taken by others cities outside Europe such as Buenos Aires in Argentina, whose "La Noche de los Museos" (Night of Museums) takes place since 2004.
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The current all-night festivals trace their roots to several cities.
The first Long Night of Museums took place in the newly re-united Berlin in 1997 with a dozen participating institutions and exhibitions; since then the number has risen to 125 with over 150,000 people taking part in the January 2005 night.
It drew on a European heritage of all-night cultural events. St Petersburg, for two hundred years capital of the Russian Empire and still a major European cultural centre, is one of the world's most northerly cities, and as such has long summer days - a near-endless twilight from mid-May to mid-July (this was a celebrated phenomenon known as the white nights). This led to the annual celebration known as the White Nights Festival, which features months of pop culture (e.g. the Rolling Stones in the open air at Palace Square) and high culture events ("Stars of the White Nights Festival" at the Mariinsky Theatre), street carnivals, and the Scarlet Sails celebration - known for its fireworks displays. So "white nights," in the Russian context, is both a natural phenomenon of the summer, and a long-standing cultural festival that spreads over weeks or months in mid-summer.
The Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë took this idea in 2002 and spread it to culture more broadly, including performing arts, and under the banner of Nuit Blanche (White Nights, and various related names) the concept has spread. (See the Nuit Blanche article for many examples around the world.)
On the night of the 30th of September, 2005, the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv gave thanks to the initiative of "Sariev Gallery"[25] and the civil committee “Night of Museums and Galleries – Plovdiv”.