Nuit Blanche Ottawa 2026: How the city celebrated 200 years after dark

Thousands of people gathered across downtown Ottawa for Nuit Blanche on Saturday night and Sunday morning for a contemporary art festival that transformed the city after dark.

Streets and public spaces were transformed into open-air galleries at 7 p.m. featuring interactive installations, performances and visual displays.

The event featured a variety of interactive installations across the downtown core.

Among the most popular attractions was Prismatica with interactive illuminated prisms that changed colours as attendees moved them, and Impulse, a series of glowing seesaws that responded to movements with light.

Andres Urdaneta said he attended the event to celebrate Ottawa’s 200th anniversary and be part of the festivities.

“It helps us connect together and learn more about the culture of Ottawa,” he said.

“I feel like it’s better for all of us to meet here and enjoy some time.”

He added that one of his favourite aspects of the event was the variety of experiences available, from light installations to live music and performances.

Gaia Pascolo performed in three showings of CUBO, a vertical dance and aerial acrobatics performance. She reflected on her artistic journey and the message she hopes audiences take away from the show, and the warm response they received throughout the event.

Pascolo comes from a background in artistic gymnastics and later trained at the Carampa Circus School in Madrid, where she graduated as a circus artist. Pascolo is part of eVenti Verticali, the Italian theatre company behind CUBO.

“I train every day because this is my passion, it’s not just a job,” Pascolo said.

“When I’m here with my big family eVenti Verticali, for me this is a pleasure and a way to grow not just as an artist, but also as a person.”

CUBO also features climbing techniques on walls and specially designed structures.

For eVenti Verticali, bringing CUBO to Canada for the first time was a meaningful experience.

Pascolo added that the enthusiastic reaction from people was one of the most fulfilling aspects of the experience.

“The crowd was incredibly warm and there were so many people ready to support us and share every moment of the show,” she said.

CUBO director Andrea Piallini said the performance emerged from years of artistic experimentation with vertical dance and theatre. The company explored ways of combining movement on walls with storytelling, using performers to create characters and narratives while suspended. Seeking to expand those ideas, Piallini and his team suspended a wall from a circular structure and eventually developed a three-dimensional structure. The result of that creative process was CUBO.

Judging by the audience’s enthusiastic response, CUBO’s blend of movement, theatre and aerial performance left a lasting impression on people throughout Nuit Blanche.