The famous Festival of Lights (Fête des Lumières) in Lyon is an awe-inspiring artistic experience for residents and those visiting the French city from today until Sunday, December 11th.

Every year, artists create light installations throughout the city, especially in the center of Lyon. These are views that embrace some of the most beautiful sights such as the Hôtel de Ville and Place des Terreaux, Place Bellecour and St. George’s Cathedral. The famous Parc de la Tête d’Or is also notable for its installations that captivate the audience.

Lyon traditionally has a special relationship with Our Lady. The veneration of the face of Mary dates back to 1643, when Lyon was officially placed under her patronage.

The Feast of Lights was supposed to take place on 8 September (Genesis of the Virgin) 1852 to commemorate the unveiling of the statue of Mary on the hill of Fourviere, but the event was canceled due to heavy rain. It was moved to December 8 (the sand conception of the Virgin), when the heavens opened again, but the people of Lyon came out with their lanterns to pay their respects to Mary.

In the 1960s, window lighting competitions, especially between food stores, continued this tradition in a new form. They marked the start of the Christmas season and illuminated the religious holidays on 8 December. Then, in 1989, thanks to an innovative public lighting policy, Lyon hosted its first festival of lights and added a new chapter to its history. This plan to illuminate the city by illuminating cultural heritage sites highlighted Lyon’s avant-garde in this area, as it was the first European city to launch such a project.

Lighting gradually became more and more important – light adorned squares, streets, bridges, embankments and the rivers themselves. Lyon stepped out of the shadows to become the city we know today, a city renowned for the beauty of its heritage, which becomes truly special as night falls, as residents and city officials say.

The festival received a significant boost in the late 1990s and early 2000s when it became an international exhibition of spectacular light installations.

Today it is a free, often interactive, open-air arts festival featuring at least 40 large-scale installations throughout the city. It is estimated to have received 1,800,000 visitors in 2021. This year, despite the energy crisis, the city lights up for four nights, adhering to its time-honored tradition.

The people of Lyon still pay their respects to Mary by lighting candles in their windows on 8 December.