Every October, Chennai takes on a different flavour. The cityscape is dotted with fabrics, idols, and clay lamps, leaving behind the earthy aroma of toasted clay. At the same time, rooms hold on to the sweet fragrance of fresh flowers and petrichor, hinting at the arrival of rains that bring the rumble of thunder and flashes of lightning, creating a sense of calm and nostalgia.
Adding to this season is Alliance Française of Madras’s (AFM) international event La Nuit Blanche. Routinely held on the second Saturday of the month every year, the sleepless night celebration returns for its fourth edition this weekend. “October is a good time because, normally, a lot of festivals are celebrated in the city. The month’s calendar, in the Indian context, is marked by festivals like Diwali, Krishna Jayanti, and Ayudha Puja. Hence, it’s tradition that we also have it in October,” shares TK Durgaprasad, president of AF Madras.
The festival is themed La Nuit de la Bande Dessinée — The Night of Comics. “Comics, as a medium, were developed and popularised in 19th-century France. Some famous characters like Tintin originated from a francophone nation, Belgium. That is the reason why this year we based it on a comic,” he says.
The 2026 edition will feature an immersive lineup of comic-inspired art, theatre, and music, alongside traditional Tamil Nadu art forms, workshops, and guest performances celebrating the dialogue between French and Indian comic traditions. The events held at six spots within the campus — auditorium, atrium, library, ESPACE 24, Terrace, Pétanque Ground — range from Detectives! Desire! Death rays! Draw!, a bilingual reading with real-time illustration by Shyam, Devarattam by Kalaimamani Kumararaman Devattam Kalai Kuzhu, and Plot Thickens, a quiz on comics by TCQ (The Curiosity Quotient), to the screening of Ernest and Célestine: A Journey in Charabia, Cleftomaniacs choir, a student-led a cappella group that performs comical contemporary pieces, and a French quiz. This way, Durgaprasad notes, the Franco-Indian institution offers a vibrant, dynamic, and colourful experience to the visitors.
Starting at 2 pm, the performances stretch into the early hours, keeping the night alive until 3 am. The choice of timing is conscious, confirms the president. He says, “La Nuit Blanche, which originated in Paris, is a celebrated, iconic day. We wanted to keep up with tradition. And hence, we wanted a programme list that stretches till 3 am at least.” The institution is also taking adequate measures to ensure that safety is in place. “We are trying to put as many resources for people to go back home safely,” he adds.
Expecting a crowd of 4,000, the entire campus is filled with foam board, flex board, speech bubbles, and hanging art of characters like Snowy the dog, Captain Haddock, Thomson and Thompson from The Adventures of Tintin. “We want as many people to come, just soak in the atmosphere, have a good time, and go back smiling, telling that they have spent some good hours here,” Durgaprasad concludes.
'La Nuit de la Bande Dessinée' will be held at Alliance Française of Madras, Nungambakkam, from 2 pm on October 10.