Amsterdam Light Festival

Light art along Amsterdam's canals, seen on foot or from a boat, for the festival's 15th edition.

The 15th Amsterdam Light Festival runs from 26 November to 17 January, on a brand new route of works by Dutch and international artists. The lights are on from 16:30 to 23:00 every day, closing at 21:00 on New Year's Eve. You can walk the 4.5 km route free of charge, in full or in sections, using the festival app, which launches in mid November. Or see it from the water on a ticketed canal cruise of about 75 minutes. There is an information point inside Amstel 1 at Waterlooplein, open Thursday to Sunday and daily over the Christmas holidays. Weekday evenings are calmer than weekends, both on the boats and along the canals. Dress for a cold wind off the water, and finish with a jenever or a hot chocolate in a brown café.