The Amsterdam Light Festival is among the most anticipated festivals in Amsterdam. It is celebrated from December until early January. The city center is lit up with a wide collection of high-quality and innovative light art installations from national and international artists during the festival.
Way back in 2012, the festival had more than 200 artworks, making it one of the rising light art festivals in Europe. With the magnificent light sculptures, you can relieve your stress and relax during the festival. The lights festival has a them each year.
You can see the festival of lights by cruise. With this, you can enjoy the fairy lights without walking. You can have a tour during the nighttime canal cruise that will offer you eye-catching and interesting light works. Witnessing the unique art exhibitions will make you feel relax. The cruises can also provide you a guided tour, so you can learn about their journey from inception up to creation.
Another way to see the festival is through a walking route. By foot, you can see the sights of the lights festival. There are two routes in the city. The first is the 10 km route, wherein you can see the majority of artworks on display. You can walk along the Herengracht and have small detours on the Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht before you go to the dockland starting point.
You can also take the 15 km route, which is more extensive. This route allows you to see all the light sculptures on display. It has a big detour that will take you to Museumplein past of the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum towards the Vondelpark. It can return you to the original route, finishing at Amsterdam docks. If you don’t want to go alone during the walk, you can prefer guided tours.
Rental bikes are also available if you don’t want to walk to see the Amsterdam festival of lights. The city comes with a massive cycling infrastructure, so you can have an easy and relaxing bike ride to see the festival.
What time does Amsterdam Light Festival start?
The Amsterdam light exhibition is from 5 pm to 11 pm. You can enjoy several activities during your stay in Amsterdam. You can eat in the nearby restaurants, walk in the park, museums and have sightseeing of their beautiful tourist attractions.
The lights festival organizers work hard to make sure that the light sculptures go to other exhibitions worldwide after the festival ends. You can also see performances and other events during the lights festival.
When is Amsterdam Light Festival?
This year, the Amsterdam Lights Festival will be held in the winter of 2021 to 2022, which is also the holiday season. With this, you can see beautiful blinking Christmas lights with your loved ones. It can be a joyful and peaceful celebration of the holidays. You can have memorable moments as you visit the Amsterdam festival of lights.
The festival is celebrated from December to January around 5 pm until 11 pm. The light festival places are along the canal ring. You can also enjoy special events in Frankendael Park, Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam botanical garden, and more.
Is Amsterdam safe to walk around at the festival of lights?
Due to the pandemic, the lights festival will impose safety precautions and social distancing rules to keep the people’s safety. There will be a walking edition only, unlike in the previous years.
You can witness the light exhibition in Amsterdam by boat, bike, or on foot. Meanwhile, the best way to see the light sculptures in the canals is from the water, so you can prefer a boat to have a beautiful view of the lights festival.
Last year, the Light Walk was introduced during the Amsterdam festival of lights. It is an interactive walking tour that offers photos, videos, and audio messages through WhatsApp from Lucas De Man, a creative director, and theatrical producer. It can provide you with humor and information and learn about nature and the city and light art.
Where is the festival of light (Amsterdam)
The festival of light in Amsterdam can vary each year. However, it is usually held in the canal ring; wherein there are dazzling lights displays along the canals in the city and around the Amstel river.
The lights festival transforms Amsterdam to a gorgeous and breathtaking open-light museum. Artists worldwide work together to provide light artworks to make the beautiful collection of lights on the festival.
In addition to watching the beautiful lights, you can still enjoy other things in the area. There are various events nearby that can provide you with fun and entertainment to have a memorable stay in Amsterdam. You can also try their foods in their famous restaurants.
Do you want to celebrate holidays in a fun and relaxing way? Then, joining the Amsterdam festival of lights is the best decision.
