June 25, 2015

 

White Night written in Hebrew on the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality building. (Courtesy)
White Night written in Hebrew on the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality building. (Courtesy)

Tel Aviv-Yafo lives up to its nickname – the non-stop city – tonight as White Night events get underway.  Dozens of happenings are set to take place at the same time throughout the city – both outdoors and at cultural centers – starting in the early hours of the evening and ending in the wee hours of the morning.

From Touch Me Baby! – a video art exhibition to DeliShow – a delicious show of fashion and cuisine; from The Public Hanging of Jester X – a wild and contemporary theater and circus show to A Really Quiet Headphones Party – featuring deejays from Europe; from The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus to A Tribute to Leonard Cohen; from Italian Jazz on the Boulevard to Sing-Alongs, Swing Dance Party, and a Make-Believe Pop-Up Park for one night only, the city is brimming with amazing cultural offerings tonight.

The annual headphones dance party takes place at Rabin Square from 10pm. (Photo by Dror Garti/Flash 90)
The annual headphones dance party takes place at Rabin Square from 10pm. (Photo by Dror Garti/Flash 90)

This year’s theme is White Night Europa and many of the events are a tribute to European culture and are being held in cooperation with the European Union and its member states.

Tonight in Tel Aviv-Yafo you’ll find music, theater performances, folk dancing, dance performances, selections from operas, classical music recitals, jazz ensembles, rock and alternative music concerts, video displays, meetings with artists and creators, poetry readings, discussions about literature and philosophy, nighttime sports activities, yoga lessons at dawn, shopping, street parades, parties at clubs, special nighttime menus at restaurants and cafes, guided tours throughout the city, and decorative illumination of Bauhaus buildings in the White City district.

Tel Aviv celebrates 'White Night.' (Flash 90)
Tel Aviv celebrates ‘White Night.’ (Flash 90)
Yiddish lovers dance to Klezmer music at White Night in Tel Aviv .Tel Aviv. (Photo by Maya Levin / Flash90)
Yiddish lovers dance to Klezmer music at White Night in Tel Aviv.  (Photo by Maya Levin / Flash90)

The events are open to the public – some are free of charge, others request a nominal fee.

In 2003, Tel Aviv was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for the city center’s concentration (the largest in the world) of buildings designed in the International Style (also known as Bauhaus architecture). Since then, the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality has marked UNESCO’s declaration every year through a series of White Night events.

The semi-secretive Dinner in White outdoor picnic kicks off White Night festivities. (Photo: Kfir Bolotin)
The semi-secretive Dinner in White outdoor picnic kicks off White Night festivities. (Photo: Kfir Bolotin)

The year’s biggest cultural happening actually kicked off last night with the semi-secretive Dinner in White outdoor chic picnic at Dizengoff Square.

For the full lineup of tonight’s events, click here.

Live statue at the Sarona Complex during White Night Tel Aviv-Yafo. (Photo by Kfir Bolotin)
Live statue at the Sarona Complex during White Night Tel Aviv-Yafo. (Photo by Kfir Bolotin)
Street performers during Tel Aviv's White Night all-night celebration. (Photo by Danielle Shitrit/Flash90)
Street performers during Tel Aviv’s White Night all-night celebration. (Photo by Danielle Shitrit/Flash90)

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