This festival of lights contributes to illuminate the streets of the French city during the month of the holidays, creates a huge buzz throughout the city's charming districts. It is a weekend – from the 8th to the 11th of December – of utter magic. The entrance is free.
In 1852, citizens of Lyon began a religious tradition by lighting candles in their windows to commemorate the inauguration of a Virgin Mary statue at the city's hilltop basilica. Nowadays, the light show is the combination of artsy with a high-tech dazzle.
Its designers come from a variety of creative backgrounds, but they're all experts at combining technology with creativity to create cutting-edge city and nightclub lighting, video backdrops, and spectacular multimedia shows.
The festival's spectacular projections transform buildings into extraordinary artworks – lasers, videos, and breath-taking fireworks – and it's at night that the festival truly showcases Lyon's incredible architectural heritage.
It's difficult to imagine what a city would look like if it were completely transformed into a light show. During the Festival, the streets are crowded, but the atmosphere is more like street cinema than a wild celebration.
The majority of visitors come to enjoy the artistic spectacle rather than to party, allowing families to visit without having to contend with large crowds.
You can take a sneak peek at the Fête de Lumiéres in Lyon, 2019 edition here.
