The 10 Most Beautiful Lantern Festivals You Need To See Posted on 8 Dec 10:50

It is officially lighting season, the clocks have gone back and we are switching on our lights earlier as the evenings draw in. We are also approaching the festive period, the perfect time to spend with family and friends, whether at home or abroad. In today’s blog post, we will be showing you the 10 most beautiful light festivals that are taking place throughout Christmas and New Year, all over the world. Perhaps you are taking a trip abroad this season, make sure you check out these spectacular light festivals before they finish for the year.

1 – The Magic Lantern Festival, Chiswick, UK – 24th November 2017 to 1st January 2018 

Taking place at the breathtaking Chiswick Gardens, this beautiful festival celebrates Christmas and Chinese New Year in style with larger-than-life LED lanterns of flowers, birds, animals, Santa and his reindeers and the giant recreation of the Ancient city from the Song Dynasty. The Magic Lantern Festival is an enchanting evening perfect for couples, families and friends. Find out more here.

2 – Festival of Light – The Magic of Storytelling, Longleat, UK – 5th November 2017 to 7th January 2018

 One of the UK’s most-loved zoological parks, Longleat, has opened its doors to life-size, magical LED lanterns in the form of classical fairytale characters including Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf, Cinderella’s horses and carriage, Sleeping Beauty’s castle and the dragon, Prince Frog, Hansel and Grettel, Rapunzel and many more. Longleat’s gardens are beautifully lit as guests are transported into a world of fantasy as they take a trip down their childhood memory lane. Find out more here

3 – Winter Light Festival, Kuwana, Japan – 15 November 2017 to 16 March 2018 

Japan’s Winter Light Festival takes place in Kuwana City, home to a botanical theme park that features landscaped gardens and giant greenhouses in Nabana No Sato. Over 7 million LED lights adorn the theme park, all charged using solar panels. One of the most iconic scene is the Tunnel of Lights (as pictured above), where visitors walk through an impressive glowing tunnel measuring 30m in height and 155m wide! More information can be found here

4. Lausanne Lumieres – Under Another Light, Lausanne, Switzerland – 23rd November 2017 to 31st December 2017

Celebrating the end of the year, 15 light-focused works, brought to life through sculptures, projections and staging, are installed throughout the city of Lausanne. The event invites the community and other art disciplines to socialise, interact and discover the illuminated city in a new way. Find out more here

5. Lichtfestival, Ghent, Belgium – 31st January 2018 to  4th February 2018 

The beautiful city of Ghent, known for its medieval architecture, becomes the perfect backdrop to stunning light themed installations, performances and events. The Licht Festival occurs three times a year and for the new year, it will be home to 37 light projects spread out throughout the city – from Baudelohof to Sint Pietersplein, encompassing a 6.6Km route! Learn more here

6. Lux, Helsinki, Finland –  6th January 2018 to 10th January 2018  

Finland’s winter festival, Lux, will officially arrive in 2018 to shed new light on the capital city of Helsinki. Stunning light installations will light up the streets, squares and architectural buildings for just one week in January. The route extends from Esplanade Park through to Senate Square and looks to be a magical event, perfect for celebrating the New Year! Find out more here

7 – Magical Winter Lights, Gulf Greyhound Park, Houston, USA – 10th November 2017 to 2nd January 2018  

Houston’s Magical Winter Lights is a huge, spectacular festival with many different attractions including characters from Santa’s Christmas Village, Mystery of the East, Landmarks of the World, The Lone Star State, Mystical Forest and Magical Wonderland. The festival also takes place at Dallas. Find out more here

8 – Chinese Lantern Festival, Vancouver, Canada – 15th December 2017 to 21st January 2018

From Chinese dragons to Zodiac animals, flowers to birds, this breath-taking Festival kick-starts Chinese New Year with 35 larger-than-life LED lanterns and stunning performances. Located in the Pacific National Exhibition, the Lantern Festival is a perfect, memorable event for families. Learn more here

9 – Light Festival, Amsterdam – 30 November 2017 to 21 January 2018

Also known as the Winter Festival of Light, Amsterdam’s Light Festival is a stunning, aesthetic display of light in the city and among Amsterdam’s most famous canals. The Land Exhibition takes place at the historical Marineterrein nearby Amsterdam Central Station and will be illuminated with various light themed art installations. The romantic Water Exhibition, which takes place along the canals, can be experienced by taking a cruise along the river – the Festival has partnered with 39 cruise boats, offering visitors a truly, unique experience like no other light festival before it. Find out more here

10 – i Light Marina Bay, Singapore – 9th March 2018 to 1st April 2018

Asia’s leading, sustainable light art festival, i Light, illuminates Singapore’s Marina Bay’s waterfront with 20 art installations inspired by everything from sea to space. i Light is organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority and in 2016, a one-for-one exchange campaign of used incandescent bulbs for energy-efficient LED light bulbs was ran at the Bay. Additionally, in collaboration with the WWF, all light installations at i Light Marina Bay were turned off from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on 19 March 2016 as a pledge of commitment to Earth Hour. Learn more here