The track was first released in France on 16 August 2011, as the lead single from the group's sixth studio album, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (2011).

[3] Elsewhere, "Midnight City" rose to acclaim in the United Kingdom in 2012, following its selection as the theme to reality TV show Made in Chelsea and prominent usage for the BBC's London 2012 Olympic Games coverage; it peaked at number thirty-four on the UK Singles Chart.

[4] Gonzalez's observations of Downtown Los Angeles at night helped inspire "Midnight City"'s lyrics.

"[8] Going with Hurry Up, We're Dreaming's theme of childhood, the artwork for the "Midnight City" single was meant to reflect the fascination a kid experiences while watching a fantasy, mystery, or science fiction film.

[14] Ryan Reed of PopMatters also praised the song, writing: "On this transcendent standout [...] Anthony Gonzalez and co-synth-scientist Justin Meldal-Johnsen build layer upon layer of keys, arena-sized drums, and vocal atmospherics (not mentioning one of the tastiest sax solos this side of a Springsteen record).

[20] The video features telekinetic children who escape a federal facility and test their powers in an abandoned factory.

On 21 December 2011, "Midnight City" was used in the final moments of the second episode of HBO's television series, 24/7 Flyers-Rangers: The Road to the Winter Classic.

[3] In 2012, the song was used as the soundtrack for a campaign video of Julien Rochedy, the President of the youth electoral support committee of Front National.

Gonzalez objected to the song's usage in the video, writing in a Facebook post that the Front National did not ask permission from him for use, and that M83 did not associate with any political parties.

[36][37] On May 10, 2012, Pitbull's artist Jamie Drastik released the official video for his song titled "Sun Comes Up" which heavily samples M83's "Midnight City".

In 2024 the beginning of the song was used during the opening of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and was used in its entirety as the athletes walked into the Stade de France for the closing ceremony.