Dazzling displays of light
By projecting images onto famous buildings, five festivals in Germany present spectacular temporary works of art.
Ina Brzoska Festival of Lights (Berlin, 9 to 18 October 2026)
For ten nights, Berlin is all lit up in spectacular fashion: during the Festival of Lights, elaborate projections transform some of the city’s most iconic landmarks - such as the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Cathedral (photo) and the TV tower - into gigantic works of art. Since 2005, the festival has been attracting around three million visitors each year and is one of Europe’s best-known light art festivals.
Genius Loci Festival (Weimar, 11 to 13 September 2026)
During the Genius Loci Festival, buildings such as the German National Theatre, the Bauhaus Museum and the Haus der Weimarer Republik museum become a canvas for digital art. The name Genius Loci – Latin for “the spirit of the place” – gives an indication of what one can expect: since 2012, artists have been creating works especially for historic buildings in this UNESCO World Heritage town. They reflect each building’s specific architecture and history and present well-known landmarks in a new light. Every year, the festival brings more than 50,000 people to Weimar.
Schlosslichtspiele Karlsruhe (13 August to 14 September 2026)
Hardly any other building offers such an impressive projection surface as the baroque facade of Karlsruhe Palace. Every evening, digital images that incorporate the Palace architecture into the artwork are projected onto the facade, which is around 170 metres wide. In this sense, the Palace itself becomes part of the show. Admission is free of charge.
Light Our Vision (Chemnitz, 17 to 19 September 2026)
A monumental bust of Karl Marx, which dominates the city centre and is the most iconic landmark of Chemnitz - known during the GDR era as “Karl-Marx-Stadt” - serves nowadays as a projection surface for light art. Since 2023, the Light Our Vision festival has seen artists showcase prominent local sights such as the Karl Marx head, the Roter Turm (Red Tower) and Marienplatz square with projections, installations and performances. In 2026, the festival - entitled “LOV spotLIGHT” - is already taking place for the fourth time.
Leipzig Festival of Lights (9 October 2026)
Thousands of candles bathe Leipzig city centre in a warm glow, while light art illuminates the historic route of the demonstrations. Every year on 9 October, the Festival of Lights commemorates the Peaceful Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, when around 70,000 people took to the streets to demonstrate peacefully for freedom and democracy. The festival combines contemporary light art with one of the most important periods in the history of German democracy.
