The Long Night of Museums, or the Night of Museums, and, since 2005, the European Night of Museums, is a cultural event in which museums and cultural institutions 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 Lange Nacht der Museen took place in Berlin in 1997. The concept was very well received. In 2005 the Council of Europe, UNESCO and the International Council of Museums joined to promote this event with the goal of improving access to culture. Museum Night takes place on the third Saturday of May. Most recently in 2021, some 1200 museums in 120 cities throughout Europe, as well as other nations including Argentina and the Philippines, welcomed nearly 2 million visitors to their collections.

Participants

Europe

Latin America

Asia

History

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, such as the annual White Nights Festival, a long-standing cultural festival in St Petersburg. 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 around the world.