White Night, Brighton & Hove’s all night cultural festival held for the first time last year, has won a share of £300,000 worth of European funding to develop the event for the next four years.

Brighton & Hove will be working with the organisers of the ‘Nuit Blanche’ event in Amiens, France to develop cultural programmes that will benefit both cities.

The event is inspired by cities such as Paris, Berlin and Madrid which have staged White Nights (Nuit Blanche) for many years. Uniquely, Brighton’s event marks the clocks going back at the end of British Summer Time. It’s an opportunity for residents and visitors to do something different in the middle of the night.

Councillor David Smith, cabinet member for culture, said:
“It’s a fabulous event that transformed the whole atmosphere of the city centre last year. As a result, people that wouldn’t normally venture out late on Saturday came along to enjoy what was on offer.”

Last year, around 15,000 people attended the events and venues that opened late or all through the night which included the Jubilee Library, Prince Regent swimming pool, the Royal Pavilion and Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. Thousands more gathered for illuminations, tours of the city enhanced by film projections and a specially-commissioned dance performance through the streets.

In April this year, Brighton & Hove City Council was named a Beacon Authority for the way it manages the night time economy in the city.

The 2009 White Night spectacular will be held on the weekend of October 24–25 and will feature many of the venues that took part in 2008.