Amsterdam Light Festival is an annual winter event held in Amsterdam which presents a number of beautiful illuminated artworks and installations around the historic canals. It is part of a packed calendar of December holiday events in Amsterdam.
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The works from 20 international artists are selected for the festival and displayed mainly along the entire length of the Herengracht and Nieuwe Herengracht canals.
This diverse and eclectic collection of works are all freely accessible to view and become part of the city landscape during the winter.
The event is run by Amsterdam Light Festival which is a cultural ANBI non-profit foundation. Its aim is to bring light art to enrich the public space for locals and visitors.
Running costs are €3 million per year so you can support the event by taking a canal cruise or buying the walking tour guide.
Amsterdam Light Festival – Cruises
There are numerous options for taking a cruise around the lightworks of the Amsterdam Light Festival. You can choose either a standard covered boat or an open boat with some cruises having drinks included.
You can also take a private small boat tour which is a comfortable and intimate choice for groups up to 10 people.
The cruises generally depart regularly between 16:30 and 21:30 with a duration of around 1 hour 15 minutes. There are various departure points depending on the company selected – this includes Amsterdam Central, Damrak, Amstel and Amsterdam Noord.
Not only do you pass the Amsterdam Light Festival works – but you also get to see Amsterdam’s beautiful canals by night during the atmospheric winter holiday period.
Here are canal boats passing 2 iconic works from the 14th edition in 2025-26 – Swans by UK artist Jon Voss and the dreamlike bridge fresco Metamorfaunes by French artist Luminariste.
Amsterdam Light Festival – Walking Tour
There is a 6.5km clockwise walking route which can be started at Amsterdam Central station – although you can actually start at any point. Each artwork is numbered 1-20 and has its own illuminated info block close by which tells you the name and artist.
You can support the festival by purchasing the light walk and audio guide. You need to download the official Amsterdam Light Festival app and redeem the voucher code to access the guide.
You can also buy paper maps for €7 at the info points during their opening hours (see below).
Here are some tips for going on the light festival walking tour:
- Wear comfortable walking shoes
- Watch out for bikes and traffic when crossing onto the road
- Take care at the edge of the canals – you don’t want to do a swimming tour!
- Keep your camera/phone steady when taking photos and experiment with night mode
Along the Herengracht there is a light work at every canal block – usually on one particular side of the canal.
You can either get up close to the artwork itself or view it at a distance from the other side of the canal – which will give you a broader perspective and the lights reflecting on the water. Or do both if you want!
Another way to enjoy the lights is to take a cycle tour with a guide which lasts 90 minutes.
Amsterdam Light Festival 2026-27 Artworks
We will provide details of the works for the 2026/27 event when announced.
Here is the full listing of the 2025/26 Amsterdam Light Festival 14th edition which had the theme of Legacy – What is left behind in the aftermath of major events; what remains from customs and family traditions.
| Number | Name | Artist |
| 1 | THE SUN | Zenisk Lighting Studio |
| 2 | FRACTURE POINT | Filip Roca |
| 3 | WHALE FALL | Xinyi Wang |
| 4 | MAKING WAVES | Jos Agasi & Noortje van den Eijnde |
| 5 | UNDER PRESSURE | Pavol Truben |
| 6 | ORB | Spy |
| 7 | O.T. 1407 | Steffan Reiss |
| 8 | I CONTAIN MULTITUDES | Marinella Senatore |
| 9 | TEN THOUSAND THOUGHTS | Esther Rolinson |
| 10 | KWANTUMFANTUM MULTIVERSUM | Beeldjutters |
| 11 | ABRI MAXIMAAL | Jop Vissers Vorstenbosch |
| 12 | WINDOWS | Lynne Leegte |
| 13 | METAMORFAUNES | Luminariste |
| 14 | SWANS | Jon Voss |
| 15 | RHAPSODIA | M Moser Associates |
| 16 | CORAL LUMINANCE | Henry Hu |
| 17 | SOLID VOID | Vendel & De Wolf |
| 18 | ANTENNA SUD | Michela Bonzi |
| 19 | KEEP ME WARM | Thomas Bendiksen |
| 20 | ALL THE LIGHT YOU SEE | Alicia Eggbert |
To get a flavour here is the official 2025-26 aftermovie and also a few images we took from last year:
Amsterdam Light Festival Info Points
There is an official information point located at the Blauwbrug bridge near Amstel 33 (eastern side).
Opening times and hours for the 2026/27 season will be announced.
There’s no doubt that these light works help bolster the holiday spirit during the dark winter months. We walked it in the early evening and there was a nice atmosphere along the route.
Whether you live here or are on a visit to Amsterdam, we highly recommend taking a canal cruise or a walking tour around the Amsterdam Light Festival.
This article was first published in 2025, last updated 23 January 2026.
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