French artist, DJ and producer Barbara Butch shot to international fame rather unpleasantly in 2024, when she took part in the “Feast of the Gods” scene during the Paris Olympics opening ceremony that was mistaken as an interpretation of “The Last Supper”. The artist became the target of a torrent of online abuse, and even received death threats. With this year’s Nuit Blanche, she has responded to the hate with love – in all its forms. “My artistic vision is about love because I feel like we need it more and more,” Butch said when unveiling the programme for the June 6 event alongside Paris’s new Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire. Butch's work often centres on inclusion and diversity. “The idea has been to create a participatory and inclusive Nuit Blanche that is accessible to everyone,” she said. “Even those not familiar with contemporary art should be able to think, ‘It doesn’t matter, I’m going there anyway to experience an emotion and share a moment with other Parisians’. It’s about real feeling.”
The official image representing Nuit Blanche 2026, "La dame du coeur" ("Lady of the Heart"), was created by French artistic duo Pierre et Gilles. © DR Pierre et Gilles
In addition to Butch’s artistic programme, hundreds of other artworks will be on show in the French capital and the greater Paris region as well as in Le Havre, this year’s partner city. The full schedule can be found on the Nuit Blanche 2026 website (in French). Some programme highlights: "La déclaration" Butch and her collaborators will kick off the festivities at City Hall on the edge of the Marais in the heart of the city, where a fitness club will host a gym class to the sounds of a playlist put together by the curator herself. Butch has revealed that a still-secret but “very famous” French pop singer will be among the evening’s opening performers. The event will also provide an opportunity for the artistic director to present her latest project with gospel singers. A majorette troupe, Les Major Girls de Montpellier, will then make their first performance of the evening before heading over to the Bassin de la Villette in northern Paris where they will continue their show. The troupe will also launch “Pulsar”, a light projection by image choreography group ALT SHIFT and V.P.M., designed to evoke the rhythm of a beating heart that will be shown on the façade of City Hall. Where? Paris City Hall in the 4th arrondissement (district) The festivities at City Hall are just the beginning of a long night that will see Paris transformed into a giant open-air exhibition. "On s'aime" (We love each other) For this project, Butch invited Parisians to step in front of the camera and deliver a simple message: “On s’aime.” A kaleidoscope of the short videos will be broadcast on LED trucks travelling through the streets of Paris throughout the night. Where? Everywhere
