The Amsterdam Light Festival

Well, are you already dreaming of your Winter Wonderland adventure in Amsterdam? Anyone planning a city trip in the next 3 months (from 30.11.23 – 21.01.24) should definitely not miss the Amsterdam Light Festival!

What is the Amsterdam Light Festival? An art exhibition consisting of light installations scattered throughout the city centre – freely accessible, outdoors and for free! This year, you’ll be able to spot around 24 light installations in and around Amsterdam’s hotspots. The theme for 2023 is: Loading… AI and Tech. Both themes are becoming ever bigger in our society and are being integrated into it just as quickly and seamlessly. The Festival of Lights is therefore not only beautiful to look at, but also stimulates thought and discussion in a catchy way. So you can look forward to a few pieces of light art that you probably haven’t seen before. The installations light up daily from 17:00 – 23:00 💫.

In this blog, we’ll tell you how to find the best route, what else there is to do & see along the way and how to get the most out of the Light Festival!

Motto 2024: AI and tech

Talking robots, ChatGPT and the like have become more popular and “normal” this year than ever before. Scientists who a few years ago might have received a tired smile for their efforts are now celebrating the success of artificial intelligence – on a wide variety of levels. Throw two fancy words like globalisation and digitalisation into the mix and you have the ideal reason to philosophise about the future of humanity and society. It is precisely these interfaces that the artists in this year’s exhibition want to capture. The artworks do not attempt to take a clear position, but rather show how much AI and technology are now part of our everyday lives – and where the journey could perhaps take us in the future. Exciting, isn’t it? So whether you find the influences of AI & tech practical, creepy or fascinating: At the Amsterdam Light Festival, you can take a whole new stance on it once again.

On foot or by water?

This is the first question you should ask yourself, because there are basically 2 options. If you are a sporty traveller, you can easily walk the approx. 7.5 km route (if you want to see all the light installations) within 2 days/evenings. The advantage here is that you can of course stop at every corner along the way and combine your Amsterdam Light Festival Walk with dinner or a little bar hopping.

If you prefer something a little more leisurely, a boat tour that passes by (many of) the light installations is the best option. We recommend booking this directly through the Amsterdam Light Festival (approx. €26 per ticket). The festival is organised by an independent collective that is mainly financed by art funds, donations and grants. So you can give something back and ensure that the beautiful light festival will be around for a long time to come. A clear win-win!

You are also guaranteed to pass many monuments, sights and architectural masterpieces along the way. If you’re wondering what history, culture and exciting stories are hidden behind them, you’ll find the answers on one of our numerous city tours!

The best route

As soon as the festival starts, you will find information all over the internet about where the individual light installations are located. You are then free to create your own route that fits into your individual planning. Or you can download the free Amsterdam Light Festival app, which contains information about the light installations. There you will also find the official route suggested by the Light Festival itself. If you would like to support the collective even more and perhaps don’t feel like planning the perfect route yourself, you can simply purchase it in the app for €7.50.

For all those who are good at using Google Maps, we also have them here at a glance. The entire route is around 6.5 kilometres long – but, as described above, you are welcome to split it up to your heart’s content and explore it over several evenings.

Our insider tip: Take a famous mulled wine walk!

You heard right, because what could make your winter art walk even better than a steaming hot drink? Amsterdammers swear by it and many bars in the canal belt offer delicious homemade mulled wine (as well as tea, coffee, etc.) to go in winter. Especially in the Jordaan neighbourhood, you can find them on many corners (e.g. in the Brasserie Blazer). So try them out and take your time as you stroll through autumnal Amsterdam and check out the AI and tech installations!