ETG | ebooks and travel guides: White Nights Festival 2018

Visiting St Petersburg this summer? Be prepared for the annual spectacle of the White Nights festival. Inspired by the French cultural festival “Nuit Blanche”, the White Nights festival begins at the end of May with the "Stars of the White Nights" concert at the Mariinsky Theatre and Mariinsky Concert Hall and runs until the 31 July.

At this time of year in the northern hemisphere, it stays light into the night illuminating the buildings for sustained periods in a bright glow. Join an evening river cruise to view the spectacular Hermitage, one of the largest and oldest museum in the world, and the breathtaking Winter Palace once home to the Russian tsars.

Held annually in the city since 1993, major highlights of the festival include ballet, opera and music. The Scarlet Sails celebration "Alye Parusa" with spectacular fireworks and a massive show celebrating the end of the school year: A series of carnivals take place during the White Nights Festival, the largest of which is in the Peterhof suburb of St. Petersburg where actors dressed in period costumes from the times of Peter the Great and Catherine the Great perform to the crowds. The Palace Square in St. Petersburg serves as a natural stage for numerous other events and shows, attracting international stars of popular music with performances here in the past by Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones and the Scorpions.

White Nights Festival: Friday, 01 June 2018 - Tuesday, 31 July 2018

St Petersburg city guide

The sheer grandeur and history of Russia’s imperial capital never fail to amaze, but this is also a city with a revolutionary spirit.

- Colour maps and images throughout

- Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests

- Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots

- Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices

- Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss

- Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, art, literature, music, architecture, performing arts, St Petersburg today

- Over 27 maps

Coverage includes: the Historic Heart, Sennaya, Kolomna, Smolny, Vosstaniya, Vasilyevsky Island, Petrograd Side, Vyborg Side, and more

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