NIT DE L'ART – The Night A City Turns Into A Gallery

An evening to celebrate the beginning of the art season seems only fitting for the city with the most galleries per capita in all of Spain. Nit de l’Art is just that, an annual event inspired by other famous “nuits blanches” or “white night” festivities growing in popularity in cities around the world.

Since 1997, the event has been held to promote the thriving contemporary art communities on the island of Mallorca, growing in interest year after year. Much like other white night festivals, Nit de l’Art sees the city of Palma transform into an open-air de facto art gallery, with the Old Town being filled with artwork from budding and established local artists.

For one night on the third week of September, the city bursts to life as people spill out into the twilight to visit the street corners, bars, cafés, and shopfronts exhibiting works from the hundreds of participating artists.

Citizens, visitors, and art collectors alike drift between the winding alleyways of the city centre to immerse in a vibrant atmosphere where they may also encounter installation and performance art.

Galleries and museums also open their doors until midnight and beyond, inviting the public to come and see what their spaces are exhibiting, free of charge. Collectors are usually able to organise private viewings prior to the commencement of the event’s formal proceedings.

In 2018, Nit de l'Art falls on Saturday, September 22. Other towns around Mallorca often participate in the celebrations.