In July 2003, Tel Aviv was declared The White City by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, thanks to its awesome, unique, architecture. Ever since, Tel Aviv City Hall has celebrated this honour with an annual one-night all-night festival geared towards its citizens. Visitors to Tel Aviv are, of course, more than welcome to enjoy the festival too, and yes, there are some real crackers to savour!
This years White Night festival happens tomorrow night (July 1st) and if you’re thinking of popping along to some of the festivities, we’ve condensed them down into five things we think you really should see and do…
Note that most events are free to the general public (the five we’ve listed below are all free). If some of the festivities you come across are not free you can expect some very decent discounts. And a word of warning – central Tel Aviv will be steaming! Absolutely packed to the rafters!
1. Take a tour of Rothschild Boulevard
A walk through one of Tel Aviv’s most interesting streets on White Night is a must! 50 of its buildings will be specially lit up, while up and down the street you can stop and catch various musical and street theater shows. This tour can be taken all night long.
2. Mayumana’s De La Guarda performance
The Israeli troupe Mayumana are having a special De La Guarda-style show in Tel Aviv Port. The show will feature acrobatics, wall-climbing and breathtaking special effects. Free to get in, the show kicks off at 8pm.
3. Madman magician at Azrieli Towers!
Israeli magician Hezi Din is going to scare us to bits with his death defying suspension between the three Azrieli Towers…at a height of some 330 meters! Of course, he’ll make it even more dramatic by setting fire to the ropes before untying himself and jumping free in bungee style! The show will start at 10pm and is free.
4. Night Market in Jaffa’s Flea Market
Night market shopping is a great way to spend your White Night! Jaffa’s Flea Market is an awesome place to visit by day, but on this special night it takes on an even more unique vibe, with great little stores, stalls a-plenty, music, street performances and galleries. Free to visit.
5. Jazz at the restored Manshia Train Station
The recently restored Manshia train station, close to the beautiful Neve Tzedek neighborhood, has become a bit of a focal point for new culture, and so joins the list of White Night locations with a variety of jazz concerts scheduled to happen there. Free to get in, the shows start at 10pm.
And here’s a taste of what you can expect on White Night in Tel Aviv (this video is from last year).