Paris Nuit Blanche 2025: join in this weekend’s ‘all night’ free culture festival

Are you in Paris this weekend? If so, prepare for a night of entertainment as the city transforms itself for a special one-night cultural festival.

The annual ‘Nuit Blanche’ festival takes place on Saturday (June 7), stretching into the early hours of the morning on Sunday (June 8). 

Nuit Blanche is an expression that means a sleepless night – although its exact origins are unclear – and that is precisely what is planned for the city this weekend. 

The 24th edition of the festival has a sub-theme of ‘Resistance in cinema’, however events are not limited to this topic.

Dozens of galleries, museums, and art spaces are offering free events with further public events and pop-up installations spread throughout the city and across the Île-de-France region. 

Due to this year’s sub-theme, several installations will focus on turning the city’s nocturnal atmosphere into a film set.

“With Nuit Blanche 2025, I am telling a story like in the movies, one in which nighttime becomes a space for resistance, creativity and human freedom, in contrast to a world where daytime is like a prison,” said artistic director of the event Valérie Donzelli.

Public screenings of classic films 

This cinematic focus will lead to public screenings of films by six prominent female directors including Agnès Varda, Chantal Akerman, and Delphine Seyrig in iconic locations across the capital.

The Cinémathèque Française in Bercy will also be showing short films and archival footage of several female directors at work. 

Other areas ranging from the outside of Montparnasse station to the Shoah (Holocaust) Memorial will screen films, animations, and videos, some created specifically for the festival. 

The essence of resistance – be that by a nation, family, individual, or even nature – will be the central theme of many of the films.

Interactive events scattered across the city will also provide tours of film studios and shooting locations in the capital, as well as give people the chance to act out their own scenes and see them transformed onto the big screen. 

A full list of events being hosted are available via the Paris mairie, which provides a handy interactive map on its website. 

If you are planning to attend any events, be mindful of planning your journey home. 

In previous years, certain public transport systems including major metro lines have run overnight in the city for ‘Nuit Blanche’.

However, no specific plan is being put in place this year, said network operator RATP and public transport services on the RER, Métro, and bus networks will finish at usual weekend hours.

In addition, night bus services may be altered due to the events in question. The RATP recommends checking for updates in real-time on Saturday.

Are there events being held outside of Paris? 

The ‘Nuit Blanche’ has become a global phenomenon, with several other major cities engaging in similar festivals (although several cities prior to Paris held one-off all-night similar events).

This includes other European capitals including Rome and Brussels, and in countries including Australia and Canada. 

In France, some cities have their own ‘Nuit Blanche’ style festival throughout the year, or a similar event will be hosted by a single museum, art space etc. 

This weekend however Paris is the centre of attraction, and unlike other cultural events – including the upcoming Fête de la Musique – is not held nationally.