Live updates: Nocturne hit the “Ground” running

• • At Nocturne’s Art at Night festival, over 100 installations, exhibits and experiences took place from 6 p.m. to midnight. . 
  • What was there?  Check out the 2025 projects here. 
  • Nocturne had a digital map, a visual map that’s available online to download, and physical maps at various locations.
    
    

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11:40 p.m.

That’s a wrap on The Signal’s coverage of Nocturne

Thanks for following along with our reporters, photographers and editors as we worked to bring the energy of Nocturne to life here on The Signal.

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11:08 p.m.

Simmons grafts wild and urban life together in Night Bloomers

Under glowing pods and soft floral scents, Night Bloomers is drawing a steady crowd at this year’s Nocturne festival. 

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Visitors gather around the illuminated installation by artist Maria Simmons in the upper level of Halifax’s Law Courts green space, exploring the hidden world of nighttime pollination.

“It’s been really high energy tonight,” Simmons said. “People love that they can take something home and experience it for themselves.”

The installation features pod-like structures that mimic how flowers bloom at night, with specialized lighting and scent work inspired by carnivorous pitcher plants.

Volunteer Katherine Vu said people’s reactions are one of her favourite parts. “At first, they just think it’s a pretty flower,” she said. “But once they hear the story, they’re surprised and delighted.”

Vu guides visitors through three sensory setups: light-reactive blooms, an invisible sweet scent and a tactile seed station. Guests are encouraged to scoop up native wildflower seeds to plant at home.

“It engages your sight, your sense of smell and touch,” Vu said. “It immerses you in the nocturnal side of pollination.”

As the night continues, the glowing flowers stand out against the waterfront, a reminder of the unseen ecosystem that blooms while the city sleeps.

– Nicky Nicholson and Maddy Gowan

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11:03 p.m.

Nocturne highlights on TikTok

@signalhfx Here’s what’s happening @Nocturne Halifax tonight. See the link in our bio for more live updates from Nocturne 2025! #nocturnehalifax ♬ Vlog – wouldliker

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11:00 p.m.

Want to be a part of next year’s Nocturne? Here’s how

For artists looking to participate in future festivals, here’s how things unfolded for the 2025 fest.

On Jan. 8, 2025, Nocturne programming co-ordinator Signy Holm announced the 2025 festival’s theme of Ground to Nocturne’s website. On Jan. 15, a call for submissions opened to artists who wanted to become involved.

The post said participants were “invited to explore the physical, social, cultural and political aspects of the ground beneath us.” 

Artists working in any discipline were encouraged to apply with an idea for an art installation, an event, a performance, a workshop or an artist talk. 

When applying, artists were asked to consider weather conditions and to look at examples of previous projects from Nocturne’s archives. 

The call was open for three months until the April 7 deadline for applications.

Proposals were first reviewed by staff in order to flag anything which did not align with the festival’s priorities or did not follow the application criteria. After the initial review, applications were sent to Nocturne’s selection committee, which is made of local artists, arts and culture workers and community members. 

By early June, successful applicants were contacted, and tonight their work is showcased.

– Hannah Hartley

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10:52 p.m.

Monologuing puppets debate the world around them

Emma Chapman-Lin and Charlie MacLean’s Real Estate Agent vs. the Angel of History is projected in the Bus Stop Theatre parking lot, on the blank wall of a property development.

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10:48 p.m.

Choir sings to end genocide

“We must end the genocide, this is the truth!” Ryan Henwood sings along in front of his mass choir of Nocturne attendees at Saint Paul’s Church. 

The music is soft, accompanied by guitar. Community members of all ages sit together to sing. 

Henwood is the director of Choirs for Change. Every hour he is teaching the song Dreamer for Palestine by local artist Jenn Grant to a new group of Nocturne attendees. 

So far he has led 350 people. He hopes to sing with 500 by the end of the night. 

Donations are being collected to support Oxfam Canada

in Palestine. Lessons start at the top of every hour.

– Georgia Rose Becklumb and Lulu Shannon

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10:42 p.m.

How to get the most out of Nocturne from volunteers, attendees and board members

If there’s one thing Nocturne insiders agree on, it’s that preparation and attitude make all the difference. “Dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes, stay hydrated,” advises Volunteer Coordinator, Alexandra Cherry. Halifax in October is unpredictable, and “you’re going to have a better experience if you’re comfortable.” Volunteer Pedro Newman suggests to “Take a look at the website or Instagram in advance […] there’s so many activities […] it’s a good idea to plan.” Board member Zoe Roberts urges attendees “to stay on your feet and keep moving.” Vice Chair Joshua Cadegan-Syms mirrors this sentiment with, “The coolest thing about Nocturne is that it challenges you to see the city differently. So I always say, walk in with an open mind and try to see the city fresh for the first time.” Above all, have fun!

– Madison Gowan and Nicky Nicholson

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10:38 p.m.

In Regarding Land, the universality of the ground is made tangible

Step inside Dalhousie Art Gallery and find yourself transported somewhere between Southwest Asia and North Africa. 

Regarding Land, a moving image exhibition curated by Amin Alsaden, brings together fourteen videos curated by different artists, each offering their own visual story about the one thing that connects us all: land. 

Across five hours of footage, with videos ranging from seven to 35 minutes, the gallery becomes a landscape of sound and image. 

As the images take viewers through themes of land, memory and migration, stories unfold in Arabic, Kurdish, French, and English, weaving together perspectives that transcend borders. 

Expect an experience that’s “intense, moody, and melancholic,” says Nour El Sabh, a research assistant at the gallery. Make sure to check out El Sabh’s personal favourite, The Secret Garden, by Nour Ouayda, exploring the peculiar creatures we can find without our ground. 

– Ellie Garry-Jones

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10:35

Solar’s cathedral installation layers nature with spirituality

When Kate Solar was given the choice on where to display Absent Currents, her piece about Freshwater Brook and its lasting effects on the way Halifax operates, she jumped at the chance to use All Saints Cathedral.  

“Because of the material of the piece, I wanted it to be inside or at least sheltered,” Solar says.

Photos and videos collected by Solar are projected on a sheet made from plants found along where the river used to be. All Saints Cathedral was built where the brook used to flow.  

“I think it’s nice that it’s in a kind of sacred space,” she says. “It brings a certain conversation with it.”

People of all ages stand and watch the projection surrounded by the beauty of the cathedral. River and bird sounds play on speakers and echo within the historic walls and out onto the streets where the Freshwater Brook used to flow.

– Amanda Wright

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10:31 p.m.

Mi’kmaw Soundwalk unearths Halifax’s long-buried history

Halifax’s long-closed Memorial Library on Spring Garden Road has deep significance to Indigenous communities. 

Long before the building was built, it was a burial ground and a resting place for Indigenous people. It was later disrupted by urban development for buildings that we now pass by daily. Tonight, Membertou storyteller and singer Graham Marshall shares the history of those who walked on the ground before us while singing a chant.  

The Nocturne installation, marked by a teepee on the site, may be temporary, but the story isn’t going anywhere. This marks the eighth stop on the Mi’kmaw Soundwalk, an interactive app, created in collaboration with Dalhousie University, that allows participants to self-guide themselves through nine historic Indigenous sites across Halifax. 

Even after Nocturne ends, Marshall’s voice, triggered by GPS on the app, will continue to be heard through the Mi’kmaw Soundwalk — ensuring that the past is never truly silent. Participants can learn more about this location and others. 

– Ellie Garry-Jones

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10:18 p.m.

Marathon reading at Dartmouth library

Fortner Anderson read from his project Points of Departure for a continuous 12-hour and 10-minutes at the Alderney Gate Library in Dartmouth.

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10:16 p.m.

Video Difference is LoHiFi

 LoHiFi @ Video Difference is live until midnight at Halifax’s last remaining video store. LoHiFi (Chris Little)’s series of mechanical artwork capturing the unsung moments of everyday life with a live soundscape done by Kjipuktuk-based musician Shuvanjan Karmaker.

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10:15 p.m.

Clock Piece explores city in new ways

Nocturne attendees walking down Cornwallis Street are met with the installation Untitled (Clock Piece). 

Artist Susannah Haight brings the light and sound that reflect trees and nature in the city’s downtown area. 

Nocturne festival ambassador Ruby Gillan says that the art in this location is an important piece. 

“It gives people an opportunity to explore the city, even in a new city, for most students who are from away.”

– Dylan Buckman

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10:12 p.m.

Long lines at Inkwell Modern Handmade Boutique

Fans of all ages wait in anticipation of trying out the 1920s cast iron letterpress at 

Inkwell Modern Handmade Boutique & Letterpress Studio Inc. The line spills out onto the street, and chatter between waiting participants can be heard growing louder as more observers join the queue

“It’s lovely!” says Margaret Fraser of Sydney. “I came up, actually for a meeting on Friday and decided to stay for a few extra days when I realized this [Nocturne] was on and to visit some friends.”  

As the line moves at a steady pace, Inkwell worker Daniel MacDonald explains how many prints they are expecting to create.  

“We are going to go until 12 a.m. and we are expecting to make anywhere from 500 to 700 prints,” says MacDonald.

– Amanda Wright

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10:10 p.m.

Nocturne walls give and take

At the heart of Dalhousie University’s campus is the Joseph Strugg Concert Hall. 

Today it houses a floor-to-ceiling interactive wall exhibit hosted by Breaking Circus Collective. 

The wall is a part of A Botanical Drift exhibit, which includes making flower keychains and a visual performance of lights and acrobatics in the auditorium. 

The wall features a floor-to-ceiling net, interwoven with flowers made by patrons out of tissue paper, and small origami envelopes. Attendees are encouraged to take home envelopes.  

A few steps down the street to the Dalhousie Art Gallery, you have the opportunity to give the walls a message. 

In collaboration with the Regarding Land Exhibition at the art gallery, Dalhousie’s Creative Writing Program has a booth set up with dozens of writing prompts they have created, and empty postcards for anyone to use. 

Participants are encouraged to add their postcards to a wall, which is flooded with messages from patrons before.

– Anna Wood

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10:04 p.m.

At Hermes Gallery, Dykhuis looks back

Peter Dykhuis has been making art for 45 years, and has exhibited internationally in Tokyo, Vienna and Sydney, Australia. 

He was born in London, Ont., and earned a bachelor of fine arts from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. In 1991, he moved to Halifax, and in 2007 he became the director and curator of the Dalhousie Art Gallery, before moving onto other projects and collaborations. 

Tonight, Dykhuis sits by the window of Hermes Gallery on North Street welcoming Nocturne participants into the gallery until midnight. 

Eighteen artists participated in the gallery’s Nocturne event, about making art in dark times.

His piece is a five-year collection of his medical records, including his first positive COVID-19 test and a cataract surgery form. 

“A lot of my pieces have been about just collecting things and trying to make sense out of life, but not really knowing what it is until I start to lay it out.”

– Ellie Dickens, EllaTsang, Hannah Hartley

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9:40 p.m.

Newcomers show pottery

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A post shared by The Prow Gallery (@theprowgallery)

Art made by the Rainbow Refugee Association of Nova Scotia (RRANS) Pottery Program is on display until midnight at the Prow Gallery. The pieces displayed came from eight months of weekly pottery classes as part of an arts initiative tailored to 2SLGBTQIA+ newcomers.

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9:15

Tying to Remember imbues tradition with vibrant emotion

Check out Daniel Rumbolt’s live performance of Tying to Remember on until 9:30 p.m. at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. Rumbolt’s luminescent installation of a traditional fishing net called Cast Away and Caught Ashore is on display at the Queen’s Marque until midnight.

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9:12

Halifax waterfront comes alive with Nocturne creations

As the sun goes down, the people come out for Nocturne 2025. The Halifax waterfront is filled with numerous creative and interactive art pieces for people to enjoy and appreciate.

As it becomes dark, the creations on display become eye-catching. Let’s Draw by Maxime Touroute is one of them. His creation is an interactive space where everyone can interact with the wall from their phones.

His goal for tonight is “to create a sense of community and connection throughout generations across Halifax.”

For many artists in the city, Nocturne provides an opportunity for engagement with the public. “It draws a lot of audience for projects, which is an opportunity we don’t always have,” said Touroute.

People can connect to this piece as simply as scanning a QR code. Maxime’s work will be available on the waterfront until midnight on Saturday. 

– Riley Shields and Olivier Berube-MacInnis

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9:02

Dalhousie students get constructive with interactive exhibit

Outside the Dalhousie Architecture building, groups of people gather around Extraction, the immersive exhibit created by Dal architecture students Blake Klotz, Jacob MacDougall, Camila Lima, Maya Kerfoot, and Melanie Roberts.  

Under drizzling, cool skies, onlookers take turns picking up pieces of wood and placing them on a pre-built structure illuminated by bright lights. Blake Klotz runs around the structure, removing pieces to be reused by people waiting to go next in order to keep up with the demand.

“So the idea is that, by extracting the material, you’re building something beautiful. It’s kind of this irony of we have to think about what we are building,” said Klotz. 

The students have been on site since 8 a.m., when they started construction of the frame, but say it’s worth it when they watch the Halifax community come together to appreciate their piece. 

“Its been great,” Klotz said. “We even had this one kid who stayed and added wood to the whole bottom section of the piece.”

– Amanda Wright

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8:58

Nature leaves its mark

Guests pile into the Artists’ Quarter at 2594 Agricola Street Halifax, to experience the interactive art piece Marked by Nature by the Nova Scotia Book Arts Group.

This Nocturne location offers guests a chance to create their own art with all-natural organic supplies. Sally Crawford explained how her book group collected bird feathers, sticks, and parts of trees and leaves to use as natural marking tools.

“This was our favourite one. We got to be creative,” said attendees Hannah Gauthier and Brennan Marus.

“It is the colours and the textures of the earth. You’ve embedded that in something you get to hold, and it doesn’t last forever, but what on Earth does?” said Sally Crawford.

When creating the bookmarks, the group buried watercolour paper and left it in the ground for several weeks before cutting it into shape. The group extracted colourants from different wild plants like blueberries and tansies to create natural colours to decorate with.

“I think it’s important that we see the earth around us, the nature, and what Earth is doing, because if we don’t see it, we don’t look after it,” said Crawford.

– Ellie Dickens, Hannah Hartley,  Ella Tsang

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8:38 p.m.

Grounded in colour

On Clyde Street, the pavement has come alive. 

Artist Amber Solberg’s installation Drawn to It invites Nocturne participants to get their hands dirty and look closely at the ground beneath them. 

Solberg outlined large illustrations of Nova Scotia’s wild plants and insects and asked visitors to colour them in, using more than 500 pieces of handmade, eco-friendly chalk. 

“I love seeing people who don’t usually think of themselves as artists jump in,” Solberg said. “It’s about making art something anyone can touch.” 

People of all ages joined in as the pavement filled with blues, pinks and greens. 

“It feels so good to be part of the community,” said Clara, one of the participants, as she coloured the piece. 

As colour spread across the street, Drawn to It let everyone leave their mark on Nocturne — even if it washes away with the rain expected Sunday. 

– Sequoia Thoms

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8:30 p.m.

NOISEmakers’ Nocturne debut highlights the impacts of collaboration

Aiming to build connections and establish belonging, Nocturne’s NOISEmakers brought together a group of seven newcomers over the summer. Tonight, they are displaying their work as part of the festival.

Based on the theme Ground, the group collaborated on an animation where six participants each made 30-second clips, and the seventh made the soundtrack tying the video clips together. 

Nahom Assefa, one of the group, said in an interview ahead of Nocturne that NOISEmakers changed him. This was the first time Assefa made art with other people and, while it was a challenge to not have full creative freedom, he was inspired by his fellow artists.

“Just getting to learn about what they were working on, what they were working for… Refreshed me, like really refreshed me,” he said.

The animation is being shown at Rogers Square in downtown Halifax.  

– Mariana Luz

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8:27 p.m.

Allison delves into destruction, revival through an array of media

From digital projections and sculpture to performances, soundscapes and even plant-based film processing, artists are exploring this year’s theme Ground through a variety of mediums.

During the 2023 Nocturne Festival, multidisciplinary Métis artist Carrie Allison collaborated with Indigenous artists Jordan Bennett, Amy Malbeuf and Jordan Hill, to create Fissure, an installation exploring the tension between devastation and renewal.

Through mixed media — from audio-visual footage to intricate beadwork — the work confronted the destructive forces of climate change and forest fires, while inviting audiences to reflect on the potential of rebirth after devastation.

This year, Allison continues to merge beading with other media in her anchor project a bead, a breath, a multigenerational installation based on breath, care and connection. Featuring two videos — Our Hands, Our Body, Our Spirit (2022) and My Moon (2023), alongside soundscapes and interactive bead sculptures, Allison responds to the question guiding the 2025 festival: How do we ground ourselves?

– Ellie Garry-Jones and Nicky Nicholson

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8:10 p.m.

Installation digs into effects of mining

At the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Pleasure Prospects is giving an inside look at the world of mining prospectors.  

Through song, dance, and synchronized swimming, the video explores the connection between the harmful practices of mineral extraction, and the effect it has on human bodies. 

Michael McCormack, who works with the gallery and helped set up the installation, holds the film in high regard. “There’s a lot of, like, really rich beautiful moments in the film, both sound and visual, that are really compelling,” says McCormack. 

Visitors are welcomed by a museum curator, and are invited into the courtyard to enjoy the striking visuals and ambient music. 

McCormack says the group seeks to promote new ways of thinking on how to mine the earth, focusing on “care and love, things other than just for profit.” The installation will run until midnight on Saturday. 

– Olivier Berube-Macinnis and Riley Shields

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7:58 p.m.

Nocturne theme grounds viewers to Halifax’s roots

For nearly two decades, Nocturne has been transforming Halifax nights into an annual celebration of the arts. Since 2008, the small volunteer project has grown into one of Atlantic Canada’s most anticipated festivals. Contemporary art is taken out of the galleries into the streets, becoming accessible to everyone.

Each year, a new theme ties artists and audiences together. This year’s theme, Ground, invites visitors to reconnect with Halifax’s roots — its land, its stories, and the creativity that continues to grow from them.

The festival was inspired by the European events of Nuit Blanche, meaning “white night” or “sleepless night”. The annual event started in Paris, attracting millions each year. This occasion gave rise to art-after-dark festivals all over the globe, including Halifax.

– Viktoriia Dziubenko, Inbal Metzler, Riley Shields, Ella Tsang, Sequoia Thoms, Mariana Luz, Al-Maysaa Shaheen  

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7:48 p.m.

A brighter day awaits at the Halifax Public Gardens

If you’re in downtown Halifax, make a stop at the Halifax Public Gardens and check out A Path To Brighter Days designed by florist Neville MacKay.

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7:08 p.m.

Explore Nocturne on foot or on wheels

Planning your Nocturne route is as much of an art form as the pieces themselves.

One possible approach is to pick a starting point and work outward. Many installations are close together, so walking is an easy way to explore.

Biking is another convenient option, with free bike valets available only on Oct. 19, stationed at the Halifax Central Library on Spring Garden Road. The Alderney Ferry Terminal makes ferry transit between downtown Halifax and Dartmouth simple, singing you to the other side of the festival with Ferry-oke. 

In Dartmouth, artists transform the city at a slower pace with billboards, murals, and Twin Peaks night at Morley’s, offering cherry pie and coffee with a theme from the 1990s TV show created by director David Lynch.

No matter how you approach the festival,  there is no right route to take, only the one that you make.

– Zoe Moniz, Georgia Rose Becklumb, Kaysee Zimmerman, Mariana Luz, Al-Maysaa Shaheen

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6:40 p.m.

Nocturne launch party was full of excitement

Nocturne artists and community members kicked off the weekend with a launch party on Oct. 16, at Propeller Brewing on Gottingen Street.

The event included live music by CALAS and The Dream Zone, an immersive installation by Alex MacAskill.

The Signal attended the event and asked folks about their experience with Nocturne, what they were most excited for heading into the weekend and what they believe events like Nocturne do for the art community in Halifax.

Nocturne volunteer co-ordinator Alexandra Cherry highlighted the event’s success over the years. “Not all art festivals last that long. We’re coming to the age of maturity at 18 years old,” she said. “This allows an entry point for emerging artists to begin their arts career in a professional capacity.”

John Robidoux, a Nocturne artist with The Magpie Collective, said the festival helps bring warmth to the HRM community as everyone comes together.

“It’s the reaction that the people have when they’re interacting with your art piece, just warms your heart and makes you happy.” 

– Layla Caplice

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6:30 p.m.

The Pop Can serves as Nocturne HQ

Located in Halifax’s vibrant waterfront, a shipping container known as the Pop Can has turned into Nocturne’s central hub, welcoming visitors since Wednesday leading up to the festival’s main night.

Presented by Build Nova Scotia, the Hub offers festival guides, stickers, and insider information for anyone curious about the weekend’s installations. The guides map out exhibits across the city and share details about this year’s theme and schedule.

Echoing the theme, Ground, the Hub feels like a starting point – a place to pause, get your bearings, and step into the city’s network of art installations.

The Pop Can draws both locals and tourists. On Friday afternoon, a dozen volunteers and organizers were on hand – some at the Hub, others walking the waterfront to chat with visitors. Artists also stopped by to socialize ahead of their installations.

“The Hub is meant to be a place where the volunteers can come as well as the public to know more about the festival,“ one volunteer explained. Compact but lively, the Pop Can captures Nocturne’s spirit – art everywhere, for everyone.

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6:21 p.m.

Here’s how to check out Nocturne on foot

With more than 80 artists exhibiting tonight, here are three walking tours to help guide your exploration.

At 7 p.m., the Indigenous City Noc-Tour kicks off with Megan Samms’ moving image exhibit Remember Ktaqmkuk in Peace & Friendship, followed by Sydney Wreak’s community project Gathering in a Good Way, a Dalhousie University collaborative sound art exhibition called Mi’kmaw Soundwalk and more.

The Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Loop Noc-Tour offers three tours, at 6:30, 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. and features Martha Mutale’s Rag Dolls 2.0, Maria Simmons’s Night Bloomers, Rewild Wine’s Plant and Pour event and more.

The French-Language Noc-Tour, presented by Alliance Francaise, begins at 7 p.m. at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic with Daniel Rumbolt’s live performance of Tying to Remember. The tour loops past Éric-Olivier Thériault’s Prismatic Trespassing, Annie Briard’s Le Francofest Présente Paysages Parlés and ends with Maxime Touroute’s interactive exhibit Let’s Draw.

– Meredith McCullum

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6:00 p.m.

The Signal is reporting live from Nocturne 2025

Tonight, The Signal’s reporters and photographers are spread out all over the city to capture the sights, sounds and feelings of Nocturne. 

Our team in the field and here in the newsroom will bring you updates, exclusive interviews and the most extensive coverage available as the nighttime art festival unfolds. 

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This live blog was was produced by Caora McKenna and deputy producer Jack Wolkove, edited by Paul O’Connell and deputy editor Alyssia Halvorsen with editing support from Mariana Luz and Al Maysaa Shaheen. Luke Alexander was the headline editor. Social media work was done by Meredith McCullum, Zoe Moniz, Samara Levitan, Nicole Walter and Keira MacLean. Reporting was done by Ella Mowbray Chriske, Amanda Wright, Sequoia Thoms, Ellie Garry-Jones, Anna Wood, Dylan Buckman, Lulu Shannon, Georgia Rose Becklumb, Riley Shields, Olivier Berube-MacInnis, Nicky Nicholson, Madison Gowan, Ellie Dickens, Hannah Hartley, Layla Caplice and Inbal Metzler. Kaysee Zimmerman was the visual editor, working with photographers Viktoriia Dziubenko, Ashton MacLean, Isabella Stefek, Ella Tsang and Rayna Salve.

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