8, 9 Sept. Notwithstanding widespread power cuts the first year, and pouring rain the second, the White Night, the night in which the city doesnt sleep, has gained in popularity and success to such an extent that this years edition is longer than ever. Events start on 8 Sept with a prologue entitled Waiting for the White Night that leads into the heart of the initiative on 9 Sept from midnight until dawn the next morning. The programme consists of some 500 different events with protagonists such as Roberto Bolle and Alessandra Ferri, stars of the Balletto del Teatro alla Scala, great actor Giorgio Albertazzi in the Death of Julius Caesar, a performance by actor and comedian Gigi Proietti, and a concert by the ever-popular Gianni Morandi. And, as always, art galleries and museums stay open all night free of charge, while concerts, recitals and performances take place in venues all over the city, marking a symbolic end to the dying Estate Romana.