As Toronto reflects on the latest edition of Nuit Blanche, artists and past curators of the event are weighing in on the festival’s evolution amid online praise and criticism.
The annual overnight arts event was hosted on Oct 4. with art displays taking over the city for an entire night.
This year’s theme, Translating The City, was meant to explore how art can convey the complexities of cities all while decoding the urban experience through art.
While many attendees took to social media to praise the festival, some claim that it simply did not compare to previous years, citing issues with locating displays and even difficulty identifying them.
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CHALLENGES WITH A GROWING FESTIVAL
These concerns are something that comes as no surprise to Toronto artist and former Nuit Blanche participant Gwen MacGregor who says she has noticed a change since the festival’s start in 2006.
“It got bigger and bigger, but then it almost started to suffer from its own success. Like it was getting so big and the crowds were getting so big that it was hard to even see the art,” MacGregor told Now Toronto.
She adds that growth came with more complications, as she feels corporate sponsorship began to take over in ways that may have confused attendees.
“They were doing things that you weren’t sure what you were looking at, their ads were starting to look like art… it was getting really strange,” she said.
But she says some of that changed when its primary funder Scotiabank pulled out in 2015, and although it offered the chance to rethink how the festival was organized, it did lead to concerns around lack of funding for artists, which still persists.
“They end up spending all the money on the production because of the scale of the things you have to do,” she said.
MacGregor says because of this, some artists are hesitant to participate in Nuit Blanche. She adds that a lack of funding can often manifest into projects being scaled back at a time when attendees are often looking for bigger spectacles.
“I’ve seen this in the last few years, the scale of the work, it’s too small or too intimate for that event,” she said.
BRINGING ART AND COMMUNITY TOGETHER
Former Nuit Blanche curator and participating artist in this year’s festival Dave Dyment says he has seen online criticism around the festival over the past few days, but says his experience has always been nothing but positive.
“When something takes 20 years, you invariably compare this year to all of your favourite moments in the previous year, and it’s obviously not going to hold up to all of your previous favourite moments,” he told Now Toronto.
And although criticism and critiques are always welcomed, he says Nuit Blanche should still be appreciated for what it’s always been, which is bringing art and community together.
“My favourite memories of Nuit Blanche are not individual artworks, but just like walking down the middle of University Avenue with a million people, just sort of like taking back the streets from cars or from commerce and having it being an art world experience.”
MacGregor agrees, and says although some may feel the festival has inevitably changed, it is still important to have in the city, especially for newer artists.
“For a young artist who’s really hungry for an audience, and a big public audience, I think absolutely it’s worth it… people in the city are hungry for it, and they love it, just to be able to be out together and hang out at night in the city,” she said.
FOCUS IS DEEPER ENGAGEMENT, ARTIST DIRECTOR SAYS
In a statement to Now Toronto, 2025 Nuit Blanche Artistic Director Laura Nanni reflected on the festival’s success and evolution, saying that it’s more than just a spectacle.
“The focus has shifted from spectacle to deeper engagement, with more participatory works, community co-creation, and diverse voices,” Nanni shared.
Nanni added Nuit Blanche takes feedback very seriously and says hearing directly from attendees helps the festival refine how it organizes and presents the work.
“As I end up my tenure as Artistic Director, I see Nuit Blanche continuing to grow in artist-led, community-focused, and accessible ways. Growth isn’t just geographic, it’s about deeper local engagement,” she said.
