The White Nights Festival

The White Nights Festival
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26 May 201723 Jul 2017Traditional Festival

The White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia is an annual international arts festival during the season of the midnight sun and consists of a series of classical ballet, opera and music events.

White Nights Festival 2017

Due to the latitude, St. Petersburg is well known for the remarkable natural phenomenon “white nights”, which lasts from late May until mid-June. It became a symbol of the city and a time rich with festivals, entertainment, and cultural events.

White Nights in Saint Petersburg
St. Petersburg is known to be the biggest northern megalopolis in the world. Being so close to the Gulf of Finland it experiences a humid marine climate with a warm summer and moderate winter.

During the White Nights festival, there are daily evening performances at the Mariinsky Theatre and almost daily evening performances at the Mariinsky Concert Hall.

Mariinsky Theatre
The White Nights Festival is organized by the Saint Petersburg City Administration and starts in May with the “Starts of the White Nights” performance at the Mariinsky Theatre.

Mariinsky Concert Hall
The “Stars of the White Nights” is actually a series of classical ballet and opera performances at the Mariinsky Theatre and Concert Hall and it is the essential part of the White Nights Festival in Saint Petersburg.

Tickets for these events are usually sold out several weeks or even months before the performance date – especially for the ones with Valery Gergiev. If you are planning to go to this city during the festival, it is better to buy tickets in advance.

You may get the exact dates and schedule for each event during the festival on the official website.

St Petersburg's Palace Square
St. Petersburg’s Palace Square becomes a stage for international stars of popular music during the White Nights Festival. The most recent appearances were those of The Rolling Stones, Scorpions, Paul McCartney and many other stars as well.

Grand Peterhof Palace
A series of carnivals take place during the festival. The largest and probably the most popular takes place in the Peterhof. There actors dressed in period costumes from the times of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great give performances reproducing some of the most important historic events of that period.

The old carriages are ridden around the Peterhof park as part of this amazing and unique carnival.

Scarlet Sails Tradition

The Scarlet Sails (Алые паруса) is the most massive and famous public event during the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg.

Scarlet Sails during the Winter Nights
The tradition is highly popular for its amazing fireworks, numerous music concerts and a beautiful and massive water show.

Scarlet Sails is the holiday of graduates, it is held on the weekend which is nearest to the shortest night of the year. People began to celebrate the graduate’s days in St. Petersburg in 1969.

Scarlet Sails St Petersburg
The Scarlet Sails holiday starts late in the evening and spreads on multiple grounds of St. Petersburg. After 01:00 AM in the morning fantastic multi-level water, light and pyrotechnic show takes its rise at the site of the Neva from Troitskiy to Dvortsoviy Bridge.

The show lasts about half an hour, but it produces unforgettable emotions in the hearts of those who watch it.

Video: Scarlet Sails during The White Nights Festival 2016

3 thoughts on “The White Nights Festival”

  1. P AKERS Reply

    Scarlet Sails is the holiday of graduates, it is held on the weekend which is nearest to the shortest night of the year. is that date set yet? what is it? if not yet set, when will it be set?

    • Planet EU Post authorReply

      The city officials haven’t confirmed any date yet for Scarlet Sails.

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