For 12 hours every year, central parts of Melbourne come alive for the annual White Night event. And it's happening again this weekend.
With more than half a million people expected to pile into the city between 7pm on Saturday and 7am on Sunday, it's important to plan how you will get there, and back.
More Entertainment News Videos
White Night: a survivor's checklist
We've learned a lot covering White Night over the years, so here's our list of must-carry items for those who hope to survive the experience.
Remember to top up your myki early, transport will not be free.
And if you want to avoid White Night all together there are a number of road closures to look out for.
All public transport customers are advised to arrive and leave outside of White Night's peak hours, which are between 6pm and midnight, to avoid the expected crowds.
Some roads in Melbourne CBD will be closed hours before White Night kicks off at 7pm.
Most road closures will be in effect from 5pm Saturday, to 8am Sunday. Hot tip: avoid any road that runs between Elizabeth and Russell Street from about 4pm onwards.
Roads
Full road closures:
Road closed from 11am: Boathouse Drive (from Alexandra Avenue) will be the first road closed in the city.
![Last year's White Night crowds on Swanston Street.](/web/20170218061234im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/n/0/3/g/y/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.guf1nr.png/1487307336716.jpg)
From 4pm: Exhibition Street (between Victoria to Little Lonsdale Streets), La Trobe Street (between Elizabeth and Victoria Streets), A'Beckett Street (between Stewart and Swanston Streets).
From 4.30pm: Collins Street (between Elizabeth and Russell Streets) will be closed until 8.30am Sunday.
From 5pm: Elizabeth Street (between Bourke and Flinders Streets), St Kilda Road/Swanston Street (between Southbank Boulevard and Franklin Street), Russell Street (between MacKenzie Street and Little Lonsdale Street, and between Flinders Lane and Birrarung Marr), Little Lonsdale Street (between Elizabeth and Russell Streets), Lonsdale Street (between Elizabeth and Russell Streets), Little Bourke Street (between Elizabeth and Russell Streets), Bourke Street (between Elizabeth and Russell Streets), Little Collins Street (between Elizabeth and Russell Streets), Flinders Lane (between Elizabeth and Russell Streets), Flinders Street (Elizabeth and Russell Streets).
Partial road closures:
Roads limited from 4.30pm: Only local traffic will be allowed on Collins Street (between Queen and Elizabeth Streets, Russell and Exhibition Streets).
From 5pm: Only local traffic will be allowed on Russell Street (between Victoria and MacKenzie Streets, Little Lonsdale Street and Flinders Lane), A'Beckett Street (between Queen and Elizabeth Streets), Little Lonsdale Street (between Queen and Elizabeth Streets, Russell and Exhibition Streets), Lonsdale Street (between Queen and Elizabeth Streets, Russell and Exhibition Streets), Little Bourke Street (between Queen and Elizabeth Streets, Russell and Exhibition Streets), Bourke Street (between Queen and Elizabeth Streets, Russell and Exhibition Streets), Little Collins Street (between Queen and Elizabeth Streets, Russell and Exhibition Streets), Flinders Lane (between Queen and Elizabeth Streets, Russell and Exhibition Streets), Flinders Street (between Queen and Elizabeth Streets).
The inbound lanes of the Swan Street Bridge will be closed from 5pm - 8am Sunday.
Eastbound lanes will be closed on Southbank Boulevard, between Sturt Street and St Kilda Road.
Confused? This handy map should sort you out.
![White Night Melbourne 2017 road closures.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170218061234im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/f/1/a/v/image.imgtype.articleLeadwide.620x0.png/1487283410626.png)
Trains
Trains will run all White Night long. Organisers are advising punters to get off at Melbourne Central Station, to avoid crowds.
Metro will add extra trains to get people to and from the event and the City Loop will be open all night.
A one-way system will be in effect at Flinders Street Station from 6pm to midnight giving priority to customers exiting the station.
Trains will operate every 15 to 30 minutes from 7 to 11pm Saturday on Belgrave/Lilydale, Glen Waverley, Craigieburn, Cranbourne/Pakenham, Frankston, Hurstbridge/Eltham, South Morang, Sunbury and Werribee/Williamstown lines, every 20 minutes on the Sandringham line, and 30 minutes on the Upfield line.
From 11pm to 3.30am all lines will run every 30 minutes, and trains will stop at all stations.
From 3.30am to 6.30am the night network timetable will begin via the City Loop, trains will run every 60 minutes and stop at all stations.
For more on Metro's extra services, visit the link.
Public transport will be running all night – get off at Melbourne Central to avoid the crowds and remember to touch on! #whitenightmelb pic.twitter.com/f0BRjf311G
— WhiteNight Melbourne (@whitenightmelb) February 15, 2017
Trams
The widespread road closures in Melbourne CBD will impact some tram services.
All tram routes will run all night, except for the City Circle and routes 78 and 82. Yarra Trams says affected trams will operate with an 'a' alongside their route number to reflect the changes.
From 4.30pm Saturday to 8.30am Sunday:
- Route 1 & 8 trams will operate in sections, with no trams between a temporary stop in Southbank Boulevard near St Kilda Road/Stop 14 Arts Precinct & Stop 3 Lincoln Square.
- Route 3, 6, 16 & 72 trams will operate between the south eastern suburbs & Stop 14 Arts Precinct.
- Route 11, 12 & 48 trams will operate in sections, with no trams between Stop 5 Elizabeth Street and Stop 7 101 Collins Street.
- Route 55 trams will operate between West Coburg and Stop 114 City Road.
- Route 64 & 67 trams will operate between the south eastern suburbs and a temporary stop in Southbank Boulevard near St Kilda Road, diverting via Kings Way and Sturt Street.
- Route 70 & 75 trams will operate in sections, with no trams between Stop 4 Flinders Street Station/Elizabeth Street and Stop 6 Russell Street.
- Route 86 trams will operate in sections, with no trams between Stop 4 Queen Street and Stop 7 Russell Street.
- Route 96 & 109 trams will divert via La Trobe Street between Victoria Parade and Southern Cross Station. Diverting trams will not stop at Melbourne Central Station/Swanston Street
From 5pm Saturday to 8am Sunday:
-
Route 19, 57 & 59 trams will operate between the northern suburbs and Stop 5 Melbourne Central Station.
From 4.30pm Saturday to 1am Sunday:
-
Route 5 trams will operate between the south eastern suburbs & Stop 14 Arts Precinct.
From 1am to 8.30am Sunday:
- Route 5 trams will operate between Malvern & Stop 38 Orrong Rd.
City Circle trams will operate until 5.00pm Saturday and will commence usual service on Sunday morning.
During these changes, trams will operate to high frequency and may not arrive at the scheduled time.
Extra trams will operate for @whitenightmelb this weekend. Service changes apply on some trams. Info: https://t.co/HOFW4QJAf5 pic.twitter.com/ajJ7dXYJx4
— Yarra Trams (@yarratrams) February 14, 2017
Buses
Theses bus routes will run to their normal Saturday timetable: 200, 207, 216, 219, 220, 232, 234, 235, 236, 250 and 251.
Customers wishing to access these routes after the road closures are advised to go to the western public transport hub on Queen Street, between Bourke and Little Bourke Streets.
Routes 302, 304, 305, 605, 905, 906, 907 and 908 will be accessible from the eastern public transport hub on Spring Street east-side, facing south between Bourke and Collins Streets.
All Night Buses will operate every 30 minutes from 1.30 to 6.30am.
Due to road closures in the CBD for the event, stop locations have changed.
Route 907 will run all night to supplement Night Bus services. It will continue running at a 30 minute frequency until 6.30am from the eastern public transport hub on Spring Street.
There will not be any additional regional train services, customers can catch normal Saturday services to Southern Cross Station, and then walk into the White Night precinct.
Customers in Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Seymour and Traralgon can catch Night Coach services from Melbourne.
The Night Coach departs from Southern Cross Coach terminal between 2am and 2.15am.
Uber
Uber spokesman Mike Scott said the app will direct customers travelling to the city to six different pick up zones on the outskirts of the CBD: William/ Collins; William/Lonsdale; Elizabeth/Franklin; Lygon/Victoria; Spring/Lonsdale; and Spring/Collins.
"This helps drivers avoid road closures in the CBD. Riders will be directed to the closest pick up spot based on the location of their trip request," Mr Scott said.
He would not comment on the likelihood of surcharges.
"We've let our 18,000 Victorian driver partners know that demand is expected to be higher than normal on Saturday night," he said.
"We provide upfront fare estimates in the app to riders before they request a trip, so there is certainty around the price they will pay before confirming the request."
Taxis
13CABS general manager David Samuel encouraged customers to download the 13CABS app.
He said the 13CABS fleet of over 2700 taxis would help ensure the 500,000 expected visitors to White Night get to and from the event safety and efficiently.
"Our contact centre in Oakleigh will be fully staffed ready ... for what we expect to be a large volume of calls, [but] the app is a fast and effective way to book a taxi," he said.