As the summer continues to impress with warm days and endless adventures, the events calendar continues to offer exceptional gems that simply can’t be missed.

Melbourne’s ‘White Night’ festival is one of those events. Held on February 18 this year, it promises a night of surreal experiences that won’t soon be forgotten. Be sure to book your East Coast Car Rental now so you can get there in time – and perhaps even snag a white one to perfectly suit the event.

What is White Night?

The annual White Night event perfectly embodies what Melbourne is known for – fun, adventure, intrigue, community and discovery.

It starts at a normal time that you would expect – 7  pm, then runs through the entire night and only finishes after the sun comes up again at 7  am. It’s a night where the city comes alive with whimsy and drama as local and international artists unleash their creativity on a city-wide scale. Musicians and performers join the festivities, creating a city that buzzes with entertainment and a surreal atmosphere that will make you wonder if it all really happened at all the next day.

Lighting and installations are a huge part of this event, and many of the city’s major landmarks will be lit up with fantastical designs and light displays, while public spaces such as parks and streets will be filled with art projects.

It all stems from the original White Night in Paris in 2002 (Nuit Blanche), which has since become a worldwide event celebrated in 20 cities around the planet. Melbourne’s first foray into the fantasy that is White Night was back in 2013, when more than 300,000 people turned out for the experience. Today, it has become one of the biggest and most exciting dates on the Australian event calendar, with an average of 500,000 people arriving for the night from all over Australia and the world.

Getting to White Night

Turn your White Night experience into a road trip to remember and drive down from one of Australia’s main centres. There are plenty of vehicles to hire from Adelaide, or you can use the occasion as an excuse to drive the Great Ocean Road with a Sydney car rental!

Be sure to book as soon as possible to avoid missing out and start looking forward to a night you’ll remember forever.