Saturday, February 28 through Sunday, March 1

165 stars light up the 6th Montreal All-Nighter!

Montreal, Monday, February 2, 2009 - The first belle of the ball, Montreal prepares to kick off the year’s worldwide « Nuit blanche » (All-Nighter) celebrations this Saturday, February 28! And our sister cities will find plenty to inspire their own festivities, because the Montreal All-Nighter, presented by Hydro‑Québec as part of the MONTREAL HIGH LIGHTS Festival, offers citizens and tourists more activities than ever-most of them free-whether onstage or on canvas, outdoors or indoors, through music, storytelling, installations, exhibitions and dance! In all, from Saturday, February 28 through Sunday, March 1, festival fans can design their own personal All-Nighter itinerary from a wild roster of 165 activities!

New additions!

The métro remains open all night… and two new sectors join the fun!

The Festival is proud to announce that, thanks to the special participation of the STM, the métro will remain open all night long allowing nightowls to live out their All-Nighter adventure to the fullest! Add this to our renowned free shuttle service-once again, provided in collaboration with the STM-which serves four routes with a total of 55 stops. From 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., these shuttles-linked in to CIBL 101,5 Radio-Montréal so nobody misses a beat of the Montreal All-Nighter-will depart every 10 minutes to connect Festival fans to all activity sites in their respective sectors. This year, along with the Quartier Vieux‑Montréal et Quais du Vieux‑Port (Old Montréal and the Old Port), the Quartier des spectacles et Centre-Ville and the Quartier Plateau‑Mont‑Royal, activities have been extended into two new métro-linked sectors, the Pôle Maisonneuve sector and the Pôle Parc Jean‑Drapeau sector. Three transfer points are clearly indicated on route maps to facilitate rapid transit from one sector to the next. It’s never been so easy and convenient to journey to the end of the night!

Art Souterrain in the heart of the night

This arrival this year of major art event Art Souterrain promises to enrich the All-Nighter with activities worth their weight in artistic gold: no fewer than 80 projects from 110 contemporary artists will illuminate close to 3 km of corridors in the underground city. Photos, videos, installations and performances invite curious Festival fans to discover and explore 10 zones set up between Complexe Les Ailes and the Palais des congrès de Montréal. It’s an artistic and dynamic roster guaranteed to warm up the night for art lovers!

The Chocolate Milk Youth Night

Finally, teenagers (aged 12 and over) can enjoy their own very special evening in the Grande-Place in Complexe Desjardins, when the Chocolate Milk Youth Night serves up an iPod Battle in the ring, in the company of personalities from the art, dance and music communities; Rock Band duels; and all manner of video, lighting and sound effects, accompanied by delicious flavoured milks. It’s an electrifying evening for adolescents, from 8 p.m. to midnight!

Fortify yourself for the night ahead at the Grande Raclette presented by Quebec Cheeses

By popular demand, the Grande Raclette is back to treat us all to the finest in Quebec cheeses, renowned for their flavour and quality everywhere they’re enjoyed. Served with potatoes, cold cuts, green salad and of course, pickles, Quebec cheeses are a delicious reason to celebrate! There’s no better way to kick off the Montreal All-Nighter than with this delectable convivial soirée. From 7:30 p.m., at Marché Bonsecours (300 St. Paul East); tickets available from ticketpro.ca.

Start the evening at the BMO Bank of Montreal Celebration of Light site!

Once again this year, the BMO Bank of Montreal Celebration of Light site is the heart of the All-Nighter action. Fans are invited to gather in Place Jacques-Cartier in Old Montréal and on the Quays of the Old Port to launch the nocturnal voyages they’ve fashioned from our program! Right from the start, they’ll be surrounded by All-Nighter ambience, joining the fun as street characters and fire-eaters herald Calling All Nightowls! presented by Hydro‑Québec as part of the Quays of the Old Port Special Events. From there, plunge into the exhilarating activities of the Milk Family Site, whiz down the Milk Ice Slide and around the BMO Skating Rink, or try out the new Loto-Québec Giant Baby Foot… with real people! Stop by the Winter Bars of the Quays of the Old Port or marvel at the all-new BMO Ferris Wheel, where NomadUrbains tempt brave urbanauts with carnival delights including games of skill and fortune-telling. Let’s not forget the Quays of the Old Port Winter Fireworks presented by TELUS, the 10th Anniversary Photo Exhibition and the AXA GiveItYourMinimum Sphere, sure to keep High Light fans on their toes. And to fortify yourself all the way to the heart of a Montreal winter night, the Bistro SAQ, the Bistro SAQ Express and the Milk Maple Kiosk will remain open until 3 a.m. especially for the occasion.

Art in the night

Along with our must-see Art Souterrain event, art aficionados can treat themselves to an extraordinary array of exhibitions and performances! Discover Métal vivant by Roland Dubuc Joaillier, the reflections and mirror illusions of Photos de minuit at the Schubert Baths or the Winter Wonders soirée at divan orange; at Galerie MX, enjoy Hommage à l’artiste pop Romero Britto and its vibrant colours and playful themes, while the UQAM Pavillon Hubert-Aquin hosts the interactive shadow-theatre of L’effet d’une nuit; on the Musée d’art contemporain forecourt at the corner of Ste. Catherine and Jeanne-Mance Streets, MUTEK and NeoGraphik present Graffiti Éphémère, tagging the walls of the future Maison du Festival de Jazz by projecting graffs, and Café Santropol serves up an intriguing blend of Marionnettes et films, figurines and vegetarian chili!

A little indoor night music

Head indoors to warm up and enjoy a wide variety of music specially booked for the All-Nighter! For example, the Centre Culturel Simon Bolivar fires up the night with Art, fusion latine et diversité culturelle, an electronica jam and charango! Color y calor! Take a deep breath and head to Mile End Guitars, where three luthiers invite fans into their workshop to share their secrets, bookended by two performances from high-profile Montreal musicians. Meanwhile, the music of Paris fills the St. James United Church, which will echo with the airs of composers who worked their mastery in the churches of France. Then, when the cold begins to bite, head over to the Métropolis to discover the cream of the Montreal music scene including Ghislain Poirier, Payz Play, Band de Garage, Les Dales Hawerchuk, Vulgaires Machins, Numéro# and guest DJs…

So you’ve sung your heart out? Now it’s time to dance!

Start your evening off on the good foot with a dance program as varied as the All-Nighter itself! Ready to cut a rug? Start with a trip back to the Elvis era with Dansez le swing rockabilly des années 50 in the JiveStudio dance school, hosted by instructors and DJs; timeless and accessible traditional dance moves take over Montreal City Hall with Swingnez vot’ compagnie à l’hôtel de ville; and urban dance brings the city’s hidden underground scene to the Academy Club, where Montreal’s most gifted popping, b-boying and hip hop twisters will blow us all away!

Shining stars, silver screens

Film fans will be thrilled to come in from a winter night, warm up and sate their visual appetites: first, the Balcon Café-théâtre takes us back to the silent era with Films muets et chansons à l’orgue mécanique, setting Buster Keaton to piano from Roman Zavada and barrel organ from Claire Lafrenière; and to maintain the winter mood, head to Monument-National for a great night of music and cinema, including a Best-of selection from the famed Sundance Festival; or heat things up in Cinéma L’Amour, where L’Amour dans la nuit offers a filmic history lesson of the building, which dates back to World War I.

Theatre and laughter

3,2,1… ACTION! The fine folks at Usine C invite us all to a blowout in which the 14 artists of New York’s blended performance troupe Big Art Group redefine ‘uninhibited’… More reserved but no less intriguing, Le rat de ville et le rat des champs, in La Petite Licorne, invites us into the apartment-and the daily lives-shared by les Guerriers Facebook, who manage to be as engaging as they are disturbing. Bizarre ? Then strap yourself in for Total Crap in MVP Bar Sportif, paying tribute to the exquisitely enjoyable bad taste captured in the worst disasters TV and film have to offer! In a different register, Alexandre Barrette invites you to laugh the night away in Club Soda at La nuit, on rit! And speaking of laughs, Juste pour rire toute la nuit…, in Studio Juste pour rire, offers three completely different shows featuring more than 15 artists onstage.

Tall tales and post-bedtime stories

Storytelling, poetry, literature? Lend us your ears! Librairie Gallimard hosts Nuit blanche pour romans noirs, featuring readings from hardboiled fiction, projections, and mulled wine ! Meanwhile, the Maison de la culture du Plateau-Mont-Royal asks the question: what happens when you combine a storytelling handsaw player, a metallurgist, a soundscaper and a moose caller? Les Hommes à la scie! Scale the heights of the incredible-literally-at the Tour de Montréal, where Il était une fois, au clair de lune takes listeners on an imaginary voyage through mysteries and legends, at the top of the world’s tallest inclined tower!

Illumination and indulgence for all!

Need a little more light in your All-Nighter? How about 35,000 LED bulbs’ worth? La Vitrine features a lighting installation that reacts to human motion (Jouez avec la lumière, an urban installation, part of the Quartier des spectacles illumination plan.) At the Palais des congrès de Montréal, the spotlight will be on the city’s boutique hotels, thanks to Circuit guidé des hôtels-boutiques du Vieux-Montréal, an illuminated 90-minute walkabout courtesy of Kaléidoscope. And to illuminate the soul, why not try out these inventive new program additions: ease into the hydro-jet bath, Finnish sauna, or cold-water rinse at Scandinave Les Bains Vieux-Montréal; open your chakras with Yoga pour l’âme avec DJ (yoga for the soul) at Zazen Spa Athlétique; join the Rallye dans le métro organized by the STM and rediscover the magnificent works that decorate our stations; or settle into La Récréation for Nuit ludique!, an evening of board, strategy and party games hosted by fun-loving Joël Gagnon of Valet d’Cœur!

Winter sports

Winter sporting events energize the All-Nighter when Plaisirs aquatiques et sportifs splashes into the pools of the Parc Olympique Sports Centre, where participants will be welcomed by Montreal Impact players; with the return of the ever-popular Ultimate frisbee in the snow, held on the Parc olympique outdoor site; and on the slopes of Zone 514, Montreal’s very first freestyle snowboarding park, in Parc Jean-Drapeau!

Get all the info on MONTREAL HIGH LIGHTS

Of course, this is just a glimpse of the array of activities set to light up the city all night long from Saturday, February 28 through Sunday, March 1. Get all the info on the 6th Montreal All-Nighter from the free guide available on the Festival site, in all activity venues and locations, and from most Montreal tourist sites. Fans can also call the Info‑Lumière Line at 514-288‑9955 or, toll-free, at 1-888-477‑9955, or visit montrealhighlights.com.

The 10th edition of the MONTREAL HIGH LIGHTS Festival runs from Thursday, February 19 to Sunday, March 1, 2009. See you then!

- 30 -