Wet Weather Fails to Dampen the Joy of Mérida’s Latest Noche Blanca Spectacle

A giant mechanical man appears to make its way down the Paseo de Montejo, a new entry for Mérida’s Noche Blanca in 2024. Photo: Courtesy

Cue Noche Blanca, and cue the rain. It rarely happens, but in the latest edition of Mérida’s citywide cultural extravaganza, that’s what happened indeed.

But the evening went on to triumph, best symbolized by the specter of a giant mechanical man ambling down the Paseo Montejo.

The street in front of SoHo Galleries on Calle 60 is filled with artistic expression for the November 2023 Noche Blanca celebration. The gallery was also celebrating its 15th anniversary. Photo: Courtesy

It was one of Noche Blanca’s more powerful symbols, sent from La Fura dels Baus, a theater company based in Spain. Thousands of people waited in the rain to witness the grand illusion of the 26-foot-tall “Gigante de la Fura” and appeared not at all disappointed.

The giant appears around the world assisted by a crew of eight using a crane and ropes at street festivals around the world, said Pera Tantiñá, director of La Fura dels Baus.

Live music is a hallmark of the November 2023 Noche Blanca celebration in Mérida. Photo: Courtesy

Its interior lighting conveys the feeling that it is a living being representing humanity, said Tantiña.

Art galleries stayed open late with special exhibitions, and a fall-themed fashion show at the Pasaje de la Revolución added a touch of glamour to the festivities. Musical acts enlivened parks and public spaces throughout the city.

Friday night’s celebration was the city’s 16th Noche Blanca, a tradition that started 10 years ago.

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