Laila Lavan (White Night), Tel Aviv: The Biggest Cultural Night of the Year
Since 2003, Tel Aviv has marked the anniversary of its UNESCO-listed “White City” – the collection of 4,000 Bauhaus buildings strewn about the city – with Laila Lavan, or White Night. A dusk-til-dawn celebration that has the streets and beaches humming until sunrise. The city-wide program of music, art, and late-night gatherings draws both locals and visitors out into the warm late summer air.
The all-nighter has free and paid events scattered around town, with the city relaxing some of its typical regulations, allowing the vibe to extend into the wee hours. You may find open-air DJs set up next to Bauhaus-era buildings lit in shifting colors or dancers spilling into the courtyards while food stalls serve local favorites like bourekas, sabich, and falafel. Museums and Tel Aviv’s eclectic restaurants keep their doors open well past midnight, and street performers claim corners until the early morning.
Some neighborhoods feel like block parties, while others offer a quieter experience, with intimate performances tucked away in hidden corners. The mix of high-energy crowds and the magic of wandering into unplanned moments is part of the draw. By dawn, the Mediterranean light has returned, the sun kissing the White City.
