A culture festival for everyone
Each year, La Noche en Blanco – "The White Night" – is celebrated in several cities in Spain. It's a day filled with culture, art, and music, offered free of charge to all visitors. The event, which has its roots in Jean Blaise's vision from France, brings people together to celebrate culture by opening up museums, art galleries, and public spaces for a variety of activities. Today, this event exists in over 120 cities worldwide.
History
Roots in France
Nerja began celebrating "Noche en Blanco" several years ago, inspired by the original idea of promoting culture and art through free events.
Who is Jean Blaise?
Jean Blaise, born in Algiers in 1951, is a French cultural leader and artistic director, known for creating several groundbreaking cultural events. He grew up in the suburbs of Paris after his family moved from Algeria. Blaise began his career as head of several cultural centers in France, including in Bordeaux and Seine-et-Marne. In the 1980s, he founded the Centre de recherche pour le développement culturel in Nantes, an institution focused on cultural development.
His most famous creation is perhaps "Nuit Blanche" in Paris, launched in 2002.
Nerja celebrates its annual "Noche en Blanco" 2024 on May 25
Each year has its unique theme, and the 2024 edition focuses on the historical and cultural significance of Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Las Angustias.
Highlights for 2024
This twelfth edition of "Noche en Blanco" features a varied program that starts at 11:00 AM and ends at midnight. Here are some of the highlights visitors can look forward to:
Sala mercado (on Plaza de La Ermita on Calle San Miguel, right by the main taxi stand)
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At 11:00 AM, the event opens with a concert by Coral Alminares.
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Visitors can also enjoy photo exhibitions, a film screening by Francisco Capilla, and images from Fotoclub Nerja (from when it was a virtual celebration in 2020).
Ermita de Nuestra Señora de las Angustias (the "mini-church" on Plaza Ermita)
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The small mini-church will be open all day from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
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At 12:00 PM, a guided tour will be held by Paco Capilla (an interpreter is expected to be present).
Plaza de las Cofradías (Plaza Ermita)
- From 11:00 AM, an Instagram photo contest run by "Fotoclub Nerja" will start, followed by an art competition for children at 11 AM, as well as various performances by Amapola y Perdigón (11:30 AM), Susana Rico (12:30 PM), and Pablo Romón (1:30 PM).
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The museum offers free entry all day from 10:00 AM to 9:30 PM.
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Guided tours are given at 12:00 PM and 8:30 PM.
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At 7:30 PM, a film about the restoration of Ermita de las Angustias, which took place in 1852, will be shown.
- At 6:00 PM, the LAUCAMM quintet will perform classical music, followed by poetry readings accompanied by music at 7:00 PM.
Centro Cultural Villa de Nerja
- At 9:30 PM, the evening concludes with a concert by Rondalla Sierra Almijara.
Do you have photos from the event? Feel free to tag us #boendeinerja so we can share them!