Toronto’s annual Nuit Blanche has officially wrapped up for another year, but many attendees have mixed reactions about this year’s event, with some finding it difficult to navigate.

The annual Nuit Blanche transforms the city into one major art show for one night, with exhibits, installations, and showcases scattered across the city, many of which are located in the downtown area. 

The art show has become one of the most anticipated fall events in the city since 2006, this year’s theme Translating The City was meant to “decode” the urban experience through art.

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However, while the artwork is typically easy to find, some social media users say this year involved a lot of searching, which ruined the experience for them.

“Wandered for hours and saw nothing,” a Reddit user said. 

“I kept thinking I was missing something and looking for good light art…. Wandering felt almost pointless,” another user said.

One TikTok user even made light out of the situation by adding humour to it. 

“Is this Nuit Blanche? Is That Nuit Blanche? Am I Nuit Blanche,” the TikToker said as he pointed his camera at random objects and street corners.

But despite the humour, many still feel let down, even going as far as saying that this year does not compare to previous years.

“This year was awful compared to previous years. No clue what happened. Barely any exhibits. All were tiny… The entire city felt dead. Doubting if I’ll even bother next year.” 

The City of Toronto said in a statement to Now Toronto that it helped attendees navigate by positioning staff and volunteers around key areas around the city, provided detailed, accessible event maps, and installed navigational and wayfinding signage in exhibition areas.

“Accessibility supports, such as on-site ASL, captioning, tactile experiences, and accessibility filters on project listings, were also available. All information and updates were available on the Nuit Blanche website and social media before and during the event, ensuring audiences could plan their experience in advance,” the statement said.

The city said it continues to explore ways to make the event easier to access and enjoy for visitors.

Despite the criticism, some users say they felt the festival lived up to expectations and left raving reviews. 

“Just did Nuit Blanche for the first time and was blown away! We did the North York portion, and had a blast… Definitely checking out the Downtown area next year! Excited for that!” a Reddit user said. 

“The Gibson House exhibit was amazing!! Just in general the Gibson House always has great exhibits. Always impressed when I visit,” another user said. 

“North York was a really nice family fun atmosphere, it was a last minute detour for me and I was happy I did,” another user said. 

Although the major festival has come to an end, some art installations will remain up until Oct. 12, visitors can head to the City of Toronto’s website to find a map of extended projects.