The Dublin Winter Lights Festival is illuminating the city until 21 December, transforming iconic landmarks, buildings and bridges. There are light displays at the GPO, Dublin Castle, Merrion Square Park, the River Liffey, and elsewhere.
This City Council arts project is part of a global cultural genre of Winter Lights festivals from Berlin to Beijing and Sydney to Cincinnati. They all use light displays to brighten and bring warmth to the cities during the dark and cold days of winter.
Here are links to twenty other examples around the world. Check them out!
Sample Other Winter Lights Festivals in Europe
Berlin Festival of Lights, Germany
8-25 October 2025
The festival features light productions on world-famous landmarks, monuments, buildings, and squares. The 20th annual festival in 2024 was themed freedom, 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Luci d’Artista, Turin, Italy
24 October 2025 – 11 January 2026
Every year, during the winter period, Torino is transformed into an open-air laboratory of light installations by great Italian and international artists. In recent years, Luci d’Artista has evolved into a true institution of contemporary art, now active throughout the year.
Amsterdam Light Festival, Netherlands
27 November 2025 – January 18 2026
Since 2012, Amsterdam Light Festival illuminates the iconic canals of Amsterdam. Every winter, unique light artworks illuminate the city. This year is dedicated to the theme of Legacy, both major historical events and the continuation of family traditions, shared memories, and customs.
Fête des Lumières, Lyon, France
5-8 December 2025
When Lyon is dressed in lights, everybody comes down into the streets to take in the sights. The facades of the city’s most beautiful buildings spring to life under the lights of projectors, and the people of Lyon place ‘lumignons’ (small lanterns) on their windowsills and balconies.
Lux Helsinki, Finland
6-11 January 2026
Lux Helsinki is a five-day light festival in the centre of Helsinki, held annually at the beginning of January. The festival showcases diverse light art along a new route each year. It features new works and popular international installations, drawing over half a million visitors annually.
Winter Lights at Canary Wharf, UK
20-31 January 2026
The Winter Lights festival showcases exceptional light artwork from acclaimed artists and studios around the world. Next year’s festival will follow the theme of Dreamscape, taking our visitors on a journey through surreal, ethereal and uniquely human experiences.
Vilnius Light Festival, Lithuania
23-25 January 2026
During the festival, the central part of Vilnius is transformed into a large open-air gallery of modern light art. New media art, the synthesis of light and architecture transforms the city’s streets, squares and public spaces, revealing the full charm of Vilnius.
Copenhagen Light Festival, Denmark
30 January – 22 February 2026
An annual light festival that transforms the quiet and cold winter darkness into a unique celebration of light art, lighting design, and illumination. It highlights Danish expertise in art, sustainability, and lighting culture during the darkest and even the coldest time of the year.
Bright Brussels Light Festival, Belgium
12-15 February 2026
For ten years now, the Bright Brussels Festival has been lighting up your winter evenings! And for this anniversary edition, a majestic illuminated trail through the historic centre of the capital. Get ready for an unforgettable nocturnal journey, filled with poetic moments.
Reykjavík Winter Lights Festival, Iceland
5-8 February 2026
An annual event that stimulates city life in midwinter. The Festival celebrates both the winter world and the growing light after a long period of darkness. The program is a mixture of art and industry, environment and history, and sports and culture, for Reykjavík’s locals and guests alike.
Sample Other Winter Lights Festivals outside Europe
Beijing Chaoyang Light Festival, China
26 September – 31 October 2025
At the Beijing Olympic Center, the light shows projected on Yang Mountain, the water curtain and the light show of the Olympic Tower dazzle visitors, alongside a spectacular musical fountain 125 meters in width and 30 meters high.
Festival of Lights, St. Petersburg, Russia
November 2025
As the days shorten and the amber leaves of fall flutter to the ground, this festival of lights stands as a beacon of creativity, infusing the historic city with a modern vibrancy. It includes 2D and 3D video mapping, light projections, light beams ,and audiovisual displays.
Osaka Festival of the Lights, Japan
3 November 2025 – 31 January 2026
Light Art Spreading Across the Riverside of Nakanoshima. Step into the Museum of Light, appearing only in Nakanoshima’s winter. This year, in addition to diverse light displays, visitors can also enjoy a gourmet and craft market, a digital stamp rally, and many other attractions.
Winter Lights at the North Carolina Arboretum, USA
15 November 2025 – 4 January 2026
Winter Lights is a spectacular open-air walk-through light show made from over one million lights. This year’s event features favourites like the famously tall 50-foot lighted tree and the Quilt Garden, along with enchanting new details designed to delight and surprise.
Winter Festival of Lights, Niagara Falls, Canada
15 November 2025 – 4 January 2026
To celebrate the beauty and majesty of the winter season, an illumination light show ‘Sparkling Winter Lights’ features the subtle and sometimes harsh movements inspired by winter, from gentle snowfalls and the aurora borealis to blizzards and the frosted falls.
Lumino, Montreal, Canada
27 November 2025 – 8 March 2026
Montreal’s must-see winter event, returning for its 16th edition. From November to March, let yourself be captivated by a dazzling luminous program that evolves and grows richer throughout the winter season, and brings warmth to cold nights in downtown Montreal and the Quartier des Spectacles.
Portland Winter Light Festival, USA
6-14 February 2026
Lighting up the darkest days of winter, this year’s theme explores how the smallest things can carry great weight. A tiny stone can reflect light, and one memory can set you on a path to the future. Light becomes a guide, revealing what is hidden and honouring what is overlooked.
Vivid Sydney, Australia
22 May – 13 June 2026
Vivid Sydney is an annual celebration of creativity, innovation and technology. The city comes to life with awe-inspiring art installations and 3D light projections, lighting the way to inspiring talks, immersive performances, live music and culinary experiences.
i Light Singapore
29 May – 21 June 2025, calls open for 2026
Asia’s leading light festival, i Light Singapore showcases light art installations created by Singaporean and international artists. These artworks are designed to encourage festival goers and the general public to adopt sustainable habits in their everyday lives.
Blink, Cincinnati, USA
8-11 October 2026
Blink is a biennial celebration of public art and light that spans the urban core of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The largest of its kind in USA, the festival’s mission is to nurture a sense of community, connection and inspiration through the medium of public art.