Beautiful colours on Festival of Lights Lyon, 5

Fabulous Festival of Lights in Lyon

The winter “Fête des Lumières” in Lyon is one of the city’s most exciting extravaganzas.

Festival of Lights in Lyon brightens up December’s streets with dazzling displays and creates a huge buzz across Lyon’s delightfully different districts.

It’s a long weekend of pure magic – and it’s all free.

Get planning for early December

Even if Lyon has attractions to equal Paris, it’s still a destination that never seems to be over-run with tourists, even for its most thrilling events.

Since this festival is Lyon’s big crowd event, family-friendly and great for groups too, it’s best to arrive as early as the Thursday to avoid the large weekend throngs.

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From candles to club culture

Lyon’s light celebrations began as a religious tradition in 1852, when citizens lit candles in their windows to mark the inauguration of a Virgin Mary statue at the city’s hilltop Basilica.

Now the light show has extraordinary hi-tech dazzle.

Its designers come from very different creative backgrounds – all experts in using technology to create innovative city and nightclub lighting, video backdrops and magnificent multimedia shows.

Nights of enchantment

It’s by night that the festival really showcases Lyon’s incredible architectural heritage, with fantastic projections turning buildings into extraordinary artworks. – lasers, video, and fabulous fireworks.

It’s difficult to imagine how a whole city might look when completely transformed into a light spectacle.

The streets are crowdy at the Festival time, but the atmosphere is more like street cinema than a wild celebration.

Most people come to enjoy the artistic spectacle, not to party, so families can visit and not have to battle huge hectic crowds.

Basic Information

When: 5 – 8 December 2020

Where: Lyon , France

Map: Lyon on Google Maps

Festival of Lights Lyon, Homepage fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr

Hotels: Hotels in Lyon

Festival of Lights Lyon

Unmissable sights at the Lyon Lights Festival

Each of the four nights of the Fête des Lumières features a different theme, changing colour schemes and an extraordinary atmosphere.

Designers from all over the world compete to produce the most startling installations and displays, and the vibrant light shows everywhere around the city are highlighted by video, music and sound effects.

This exceptional festival incorporates Lyon’s historic and contemporary architecture into an astonishing sight.

Its lovely riversides and parks also take centre stage.

The Rhône riverside is being gradually transformed into thirty miles of waterfront attractions, with an open-air dining area, a promenade, viewing points, artworks and nature trails.

It’s a spectacular backdrop for the illuminations.

Buy a Lyon City Card and save

To discover the best of Lyon during your stay for the festival, be sure to buy a Lyon City Card.

This allows you to explore the museums and attractions of Lyon, while saving some of your holiday cash.

The easy-to-use card offers sightseeing freedom, helping you make the most of a short or a longer stay.

Choose from 1, 2 or 3 consecutive day passes.

The card offers free admission to nineteen top museums in and around Lyon, and unlimited public transport by bus, metro, tramway and the funicular that takes you up Fourvière hill for panoramic city views.