I love Nuit Blanche! I think it is a wonderful opportunity for our community to explore the city, interact with thought-provoking and unique works of art, all under the stars on a Saturday night.

The festival also gives local and national artists a chance to create under a theme chosen by the Xiao Han, Nuit Blanche's curator.

I was lucky to have Xiao on the podcast last year, and we had a great discussion about festival and why it means so much to her. This year, we met at River Landing to talked about this year's theme...Future. It's a broad theme that gives artists a lot of freedom to create, and as you will hear in our conversation, the future is something Xiao has been thinking about for quite some time.

Xiao also discusses how she works with artists throughout the application process and in the months and weeks leading up to the festival. I love learning about how people work, and I think you will find Xiao's process fascinating!

Nuit Blanche takes place Saturday, September 19th, from 7pm until midnight. You can learn more about Nuit Blanche by visiting the website, and there is a special launch event taking place on Friday, September 18th, at Gather Local Market.

Finally, I want to include Xiao's artist statement for this year's theme in the show notes. I love her writing, and I really think the theme of future captures a lot of what is happening in the world around us right, especially when it comes to technological, social, and environmental change.

I hope to see you out exploring the festival Saturday night!

Speak from the Future: What Would You Change Now to Build a Brighter World?

“The future is not a distant destination. It is shaped by the choices we make today through our technologies, cultures, relationships, and the environments we inhabit.

As our world undergoes rapid technological, social, and environmental change, the future can feel both exciting and uncertain. Yet the future is not something that simply happens to us. It is something we actively create.

Nuit Blanche Saskatoon 2026 invites audiences to explore the theme of Future through three interconnected lenses: Humanity & Technology, Diverse Futures & Belonging, and Collective Imagination & Action.” - Xiao Han.

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis