Beautiful Light Art festivals throughout Europe

In the darker months of the year, many European cities can use some brightening up. Several cities, including our favourites, host special light art festivals in autumn or winter and we love them all! Whether the festival consists of projections on buildings or artfully created light installations, they bring light and fun to cities when they need it most.

Amsterdam’s annual Light Festival dates back to 2012 and makes use of the city’s iconic canals for its displays. This is why a dedicated canal cruise is the best way to see the festival. LOVERS Canal Cruises has been an official partner of the festival since its inception and continues to provide new and fun cruise experiences at each edition of the festival.

In 2022, the 11^th edition of the Amsterdam Light Festival starts on the 1^st of December and lasts till the 22^nd of January 2023. The themes of the artworks this yeas is Imagine Beyond and takes visitors of the festival on a journey to the world of imagination. With the help of imagination you can the future any way you want, you can dream beyond the here and now.

This year, LOVERS Canal Cruises offers three different types of cruises. The traditional, most famous and popular Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise, where you can enjoy the light-art from a comfortable heated canal boat; the Amsterdam Light Festival Semi-Open Boat Cruise, which gives you unobstructed views of the light-art; and a combination of the traditional canal cruise with a satay dinner.

At the end of winter, in February, the buildings, squares, canals and other parts of Copenhagen are lit up by beautiful light installations during the Copenhagen Light Festival. For a little over 3 weeks, from 3 to 26 February, light art brings brightness to the winter darkness. Copenhagen is lit up with the help of light based sculptures, installations, projection mapping, event and illuminations.

Most of the light art is places along a path in the inner city and harbour, while other pieces art works are located outside the city centre. You can choose to explore the light artworks by yourself or join one of the festival’s guided tours. The Copenhagen Light Festival can be enjoyed with a walking tour, Segway tour, canal boat or kayak tour.

Since 2005, Berlin has been lit up every year by the Festival of Lights in autumn. It quickly became a beloved fall tradition and one of the most popular light-art festivals in the world. The festival consists of both light-art sculptures and projections on many of Berlin’s famous sights. In 2022, the Berlin Festival of Lights takes place from 7 to 16 October, when sights from the TV Tower all the way to Potsdamer Platz will be illuminated.

Every year the festival has a different theme, this year the festival offers a Vision of our Future, with inspirational art and a more sustainable version of the festival then every before. Over the course of 10 festival days, 35 venues will host 70 different works of art by international artists. By using only electricity from renewable energy sources, as well as modern and economical lighting technology, the festival will use 75% less power compared to previous years.

You can enjoy the festival on foot, though it can be difficult to visit all the best sights in one night. You can also take a tour of the city with the Tour of Lights from City Sightseeing Berlin, which will take you by all the best sights and includes multiple photo stops. Along the way tour guides on the bus will give you more information about the city in both English and German.

Stockholm’s Light-art festival takes place during the annual Nobel Week, when that years’ Nobel Prize winners receive their awards. In the week leading up to 10 December, when the Nobel Award Ceremony takes place, several places and buildings in central Stockholm are illuminated by dazzling light installations, celebrating scientific advances and past Nobel Prize winners.

For the festival, international and local artists and designers create large-scale public light art which presents the impactful discoveries made by Nobel Laureates. The Nobel Week Lights aims to shed new light on subjects and locations in Stockholm that previously may have been unknown to visitors. As the festival sets up in the heart of the city, it is free of charge to visit, and a map is available on the festival’s website as well as different ways to experience the festival.