Since being declared the White City by UNESCO in July 2003, the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality has been marking the honor in an annual one-night fest offering a slew of special events for the benefit of the residents and visitors of Tel Aviv. This one-night fest is known to the world as White Night Tel Aviv (Layla Lavan Tel Aviv), and is taking place in 2011 on 30 June.

Tour of Rothschild Boulevard
Various musical and theater street shows will line the beautiful boulevard.
Rothschild Boulevard, Bialik Street. All night long

Matti and Shlomo – until the sun rises
Matti Caspi and Shlomo Gronich will perform in an open-air concert, offering authentic Israeli music until the sun rises.
Northern Tzuk Beach, 1 a.m. Free admission

Indie city
Various concerts by some of Israel’s best rock bands.
Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Shaul Hamelech 27.

Israeli folk dancing
Starting at 9 p.m., Israeli folk dancing with Sarah Aviv with special guest dancers.
Gordon Beach. From 9 p.m.

Night market
The flea market in Jaffa will be open all night, offering special stores and arts & crafts stalls. There will also be numerous street theater performances, music, exhibitions, galleries and more.
Flea market, Jaffa. Free admission

All-night parties
R&B and hip hop will be playing all night in Bialik Square. Afrobeat, funk and hip hop artists will perform, starting at 10 p.m.

Tel Aviv’s famous Dizengoff Center will host a Pop-Shop party, where Dizengoff Street meets King George Street. The mall’s stores will be open through the night.
All parties free of charge

Yehudit Ravitz at Zappa
Israeli music legend Yehudit Ravitz will perform songs spanning her whole career, as well as new hits at a special concert.
Zappa Club, Raul Wallenberg 24. Free admission

At Jaffa Port
Ahinoam Nini and Mira Awad will perform their “Together and Alone” evening at the Jaffa Port, and artist Ruba will open her one-woman show “Out of Place,” a collection of recent works dealing with issues of belonging and identity. There will also be workshops with stylists Doreen Attias and Ravit Assaf.

A night at the opera
The Israel Opera will join in the celebrations in a concert of opera hits that will begin at midnight into the wee hours. The opera stars will each perform a few arias, accompanied by pianist Eitan Schmeister and Michael Ajzenstadt as host.
(03) 6927777, NIS 65 www.israelopera.co.il

Select events via Jerusalem Post

More events via Haaretz: (added 2.30PM 30 June 2011)

Nahalat Binyamin Houses – Meeting place: Magen David Square, at the entrance to the Carmel Market. 7pm, 9pm.

The House on the Hill; Bialik Street and its surroundings – Meeting place: the King George St entrance to Gan Meir. 7pm, 9pm.

Tel Aviv “Say Cheese” photo tour – Meeting place: corner of Alenby and Bialik streets. 8pm, 10pm (NIS 50).

Neve Tzedek Magical Allies – Meeting place: Kir Hameyasdim at Suzanne Dellal Square. 8pm, 10pm.

Along Rothschild Boulevard – Meeting place: corner of Ahad Haam and Hertzl streets. 7pm.

Rothschild after midnight – Meeting place: corner of Rothschild Blvd and Hertzl St, by the kiosk. 11:15pm.

Around Dizengoff Square - Meeting place: next-to Cinema Hotel at Dizengoff Square. 8:30pm, 10:30pm.

The Songs of Tel Aviv - Meeting place: corner of Ahad Haam and Hertzl Streets. 7pm, 9pm.

The oil lamp tour of Tel Aviv’s pantheon; the Trumpeldor Cemetery - Meeting place: the King George St entrance to Gan Meir. 10:30pm, 12:15am.

Old Jaffa – Meeting place: the Clock Tower Square. 8pm, 10pm.

Music

The Indie City event will host two stages of Tel Aviv’s leading Indie musicians at the Tel Aviv Museum on Rothschild Blvd from 6pm – 2am.

Among the various happenings at the Dizengoff Center Urban Legend event is the Balkan Beat Box’s “Boom Pam –Alakazam” show (NIS 149 – 179) at 1am.

Art

Glass artist Dale Chihuly presents about 100 works from almost all his series at the Litvak Gallery. Museum Tower, 4 Berkovitz St. Tel Aviv. Phone: 03-6959496.

The Eretz Israel Museum will offer discounted entry to a number of exhibitions from 8pm to midnight. 2 Haim Levanon St., Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv.

Theater

The Israeli Opera will put on a night concert of popular arias and songs from musical theater, at 12:30am. Tickets can be purchased from the Israeli Opera box office on 03-6927777 for NIS 60.

Special Events

Numerous musical ensembles will perform side-by-side street theater shows, as 50 Bauhaus buildings will be illuminated against the night sky on Rothschild Blvd.

HaTachana – the old railway station turned marketplace near Neve Tzedek – will host a song night, with The Tel Avivim and Tzeirey Tel Aviv (The Tel Aviv Youth).

The “Pishpeshuk” project is back, with Jaffo’s flea market running throughout the night. This year’s theme will be about the purity of witches and magicians and will include an open stage at the market square, unique stores, art stalls, street theater performances and a Jaffa mosaics exhibition.

As the sun rises on Friday morning, a yoga workshop, including meditation and song, will be held on the Tel Aviv Port deck at 5:30am.

PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS, AND HAVE A GREAT WHITE NIGHT