A new version of artist Ai Weiwei’s Forever Bicycles sculpture — a complex and stunning arrangement of more than 3,000 bicycles — is just one of the highlights of this year’s Scotiabank Nuit Blanche festival, to be held the evening of Oct. 5 until sunrise the next morning.

The complex, abstract work will be assembled in Nathan Phillips Square and organizers are expecting it to be one of the night’s biggest draws.

“All the work featured during the night will be fabulous, but having Ai Weiwei’s art here, well, it’s beyond belief,” says Julian Sleath from the city’s office of economic development and culture, of the Chinese dissident artist, who is currently being featured in an exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

“It’s like having Mick Jagger and David Bowie in town at the same time.”

The Ai Weiwei installation, specially commissioned for the event and its largest incarnation to date, is the only version to be displayed in an open-air public space.

The piece is part of the festival’s Extended Projects scheme that will have it and other works assembled until Oct. 14, rather than dismantled immediately after the event, which is the fate of most Nuit Blanche projects.

This year’s lineup of the eighth annual art extravaganza includes 112 art projects created by more than 500 local, national and international artists who will transform the streets of Toronto for a single night.

Local artist Blandford Gates is excited about his contribution this year, a piece titled Chess Set. It’s a 5-by-5-metre chessboard with the movable pieces made from old farm machinery and kitchen utensils.

The night of the festival he’ll oversee “shadow” chess games at Wychwood Barns.

“I’ve been to the festival, and it’s really something special,” said Blandford. “This year it will be a bit different and I’m really looking forward to it.”

About 1 million spectators are expected take in the many installations.

Other highlights include:

Plastic Bags, a massive, colourful sculpture by Belgian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou made from nets and plastic bags, at Bell Trinity Square at 483 Bay St.

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Tortoise,by Michel de Broin of Montreal, uses standard picnic tables one on top of the other to form a tower. This work will be at Campbell House, 160 Queen St. W.