One Hell of a White Night

So Melbourne's White Night has been and gone in a haze of light shows, live music, artist workshops and late night Maccas, and if you didn't manage to get into the CBD (you were probably the only person in our 4.1 million strong population who didn't. But don't feel bad), you sure did miss quite an event. White Night Melbourne promised to be a 'night like no other' and, sure enough, Iv'e never experienced a night like that in Melbourne before. The streets were packed so tight they were like a virgin, 'touched for the very first time', if I may borrow the phrase, and all traffic was halted throughout the CBD for the festivities.

There were a huge range of events and some fun for everyone to be had, with a program featuring everything from an all night zine-making marathon at the Sticky Institute to water displays along the Yarra. There were stages set up at Flinders St Station, the State Library and Degraves Street, which saw night long performances from The Eagle and the Worm, Rockwiz Orchestra and The Cat Empire. If crazy (and most likely, slightly embarrassing) dancing is more your style, there were free dance workshops held under hundred of sparkling mirror balls in Fed Square, featuring styles like salsa, club dancing and the Thriller Dance, which saw Melburnians getting their groove on until 6 in the morning. Bringing the theme of 'Wonderland' to life, and evoking memories of grand carnivals, The Electric Canvas transformed the Flinders Street scape into a magnificent fantasy land by projecting moveable lights all over the buildings. This is one of the largest projection projects that Australia has ever seen, with the light installation running from the Forum Theatre right up to St Paul's Cathedral and beyond. Degraves Street was turned into a place of whimsy and mystery with lasers projecting images onto the stone walls, multicoloured smoke filling up the space and, perhaps my favourite, a huge projection of a fashion runway at the start of Elizabeth street. And don't think you were the only one pulling an all nighter, because the NGV, State Library, Museum and Wheeler Center all threw their doors open, hosting numerous activities and events, all through the night. I don't believe McDonalds or the city's late night pizza joints have received such a work out before, but if you actually wanted the food you put in your mouth to taste good (rather than tasting like it had been sat on by a stray cat), there were food trucks selling tacos, pork belly rolls and Thai food, lined up along Flinders Street, serving eagerly awaiting customers. For the bold (or just highly drugged up), there was the opportunity to ring in the sun rise at 7am, with a procession from Flinders Street to Princes Bridge led by the White Night bands and artists. A choral procession welcomed in the new day and The Cat Empire frontman, Felix Reibl, has created a new song as a tribute to the event.

It past in a flash and a blur of light, music, colour and dancing, but if you were that one person who sat at home instead, never fear, because Melbourne can look forward to more White Nights in 2014 and 2015. Never has one single event touched our buildings, graced our streets and filled our entire city with so much fantasy, whimsy and wonder as Melbourne's White Night. If you were lucky enough to see the sun rise, I can imagine that, as the golden sun rose over the pale horizon, only the though of, 'God, what an incredible city', entered your mind...well, either that or 'I really need an effing cheese burger.