Amsterdam illuminated for 14th edition of Light Festival exploring the theme of legacy
The Amsterdam Light Festival will return for its 14th edition from Thursday, November 27, 2025, to Sunday, January 18, 2026, illuminating the city’s iconic canals with new light artworks. The foundation behind the festival, Stichting Amsterdam Light Festival, installs light artworks throughout the city to brighten the darker months.
This year’s festival centers on the theme of “Legacy,” exploring both personal and shared impacts on the present and future. “Legacy can mean major historical or environmental events that have a lasting impact, but also the continuation of family traditions, shared memories, and customs. What will we leave behind? Which stories do we pass on? How do we want to be remembered?” the festival organizers said.
Twenty international artists have contributed to this edition, each translating their interpretation of legacy into visual and spatial experiences. “Every day, each one of us leaves a mark. What we leave behind is up to us,” the organizers said.
The festival route runs through the center of Amsterdam, with artworks placed along, next to, and sometimes in the middle of the canals. Visitors can experience the installations from the water on a cruise or from land by walking or cycling the route. Cruises average 75 minutes, departing every 30 minutes between 5:45 and 9:30 p.m. Most walking routes cover 6.5 kilometers and can be explored in sections or in full using the festival app.
Ticket options include heated canal cruises (29.75 euros), open-boat tours (29.75 euros), cruises with drinks (39.75 euros), and private or group bookings available on request.
The festival is organized by Stichting Amsterdam Light Festival, a cultural foundation that relies on ticket sales, donations, and partnerships for over 75 percent of its budget.
Lights will be on from 4:30 p.m. through January 4, with extended hours Wednesday through Saturday until 11 p.m. and Sunday through Tuesday until 10 p.m. From January 5 to 18, lights will turn on at 5 p.m. Christmas holiday hours run daily until 11 p.m., except on New Year’s Eve when the lights will go out at 9 p.m.
