Night of Ideas

Outside The Lines - Shaping Narratives and Urban Futures

A global event, taking place simultaneously in more than 100 countries and 20 US cities, Night of Ideas invites thought leaders and performers to engage the public in an evening of discussions around major, contemporary global issues.

Free and open to the public, this celebration of thoughts welcomes inspiring voices from academic, artistic and civic communities for a four-hour marathon of ideas on this year’s theme, “Outside the Lines.”  View the full schedule here. 

Explore the Chicago Architecture Center after hours during this drop-in event from 5-9 p.m. Engage in intellectual talks, panels, book signings, and performances, on topics like the future of the Great Lakes, food deserts and urban farming, gentrification, housing policy and lending disparities against the backdrop of Chicago at night.

First introduced in the United States in 2015 by the French Embassy, Night of Ideas is a nationwide phenomenon today, drawing tens of thousands of people to events across the country, for a nocturnal marathon of philosophical debates, performances, readings, and more.

In Chicago, this event is co-curated by Villa Albertine and the Chicago Architecture Center.

Night of Ideas 2024 is presented by Villa Albertine and Albertine Foundation thanks to the leadership support of the Judy & Peter Blum Kovler Foundation, and with the support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. It is coordinated worldwide by the Institut Français.