Light Festival Lyon - December 5-8th 2008

There are many talents that can qualify people from Lyon, the city of French gastronomy, and one is that they are brilliant when it’s about entertaining us with light shows. The whole story started back in 1850 when a contest was launched to build a statue. The celebration of the new monument at the top of the hill was postponed to December when people were finally so happy that they decided to put candles at windows and to share their enthusiasm in the streets. Since then every first week-end of December, the city remembers and celebrates light outside: The Fête des lumières has born.




I have heard for a long times about this traditional celebration of light in Lyon, second largest city in France. I have never been there until last year December 7th for a week-end of celebration. First of all, I was amazed by the number of people defeating the cold to gather in the streets. Everybody went eating out in one of the numerous excellent restaurants the city has, waiting for the night show to start. Suddenly, the first colors decorated the historical buildings following the music like an open door opera of light. They use fantastic techniques to give life to churches or palaces. One of the most spectacular attractions you see this year are at the Saint-Nizier church, the Jacobins square, the Celestins square, the Hotel-Dieu Hospital, the Saint Jean Cathedral, and Fourvière hill and many more… These shows occurs in the city center, in the inlet between Bellecour square and the City Hall (Hotel de Ville) and usually starts at 6pm and last untill 1 am.


If you want to be transported in this magical world of music and scenic entertainment, don’t look further and take the chance to visit the city of Lyon early December and discover this amazing attraction, you won’t regret it.

• tips and advice: Book your hotel room far in advance meaning 6 months at least!! Lyon has a metro so you can easely consider booking a hotel nearby a metro station rather than in the city center (Bellecour). Bellecour, Cordeliers or Hotel de Ville are where you want to stop for attending the Light Festival. Special bus/metro tickets are available. More buses and metro will be running during the festival.