From December 5 to 8, 2026, Lyon will host the 27th edition of its famous Fête des Lumières. Featuring 27 works spread across about twenty iconic locations, the event aims to reflect the concerns of our time, from climate change to artificial intelligence. Nearly two million visitors are expected for four evenings blending artistic creations, heritage, and technological innovations.
This year, Lyon’s Fête des Lumières intends to go beyond a simple visual spectacle. Presented on Wednesday, November 4, by Mayor Grégory Doucet and his delegate for major cultural events, Pierre Lopez Landier, the 2026 edition is anchored in contemporary concerns. The organizers selected 27 installations created by artists from 14 different nationalities, including ten Lyon-based teams. The festival, entirely free, will once again transform the city’s squares, monuments, and parks into creative spaces. The announced budget reaches 3.4 million euros, an amount comparable to that of the previous year.
For Grégory Doucet, this programming must be “a reflection of its time.” This ambition takes on a particular dimension in a context marked by social tensions and recent protests affecting the Lyon metropolitan area. The mayor emphasized that the event will take place as planned, despite concerns about security. Authorities are preparing a plan adapted to the expected crowds, with the activation of the ORSEC plan. The goal is to reconcile holding a major popular event with maintaining public order and respecting the right to protest.
Climate Change Inspires Several Creations
Environmental concerns hold an important place in this new edition. At Parc de la Tête d’Or, artist Mourka will present “La Roseraie aux oiseaux,” an installation evoking spring in the heart of winter. Behind this poetic proposal lies a reflection on disruptions to natural cycles. Climate change notably alters the migratory behaviors of certain bird species, whose movements are influenced by temperature changes. The work thus invites visitors to reflect on the consequences of environmental transformations on living beings.
Other creations will extend this reflection. On the banks of the Rhône, “Countdown” will offer a luminous representation of the erosion of life, while “Echoes of Ice,” in the Grôlée district, will evoke the disappearance of glaciers through projections and an immersive sound environment. At Place Louis-Pradel, “Sentinels” will address rising sea levels. These installations express a desire to raise public awareness of ecological issues without sacrificing the festival’s spectacular dimension. Light thus becomes a means to make visible phenomena often difficult to represent.
Artificial Intelligence and Video Games on the Program
New technologies form another thematic thread of the programming. At Place Sathonay, the Playmode studio will present “Liquid Times,” a creation combining light, movement, and music. The installation will rely on rotating modules designed to produce an evolving visual composition. At Parc de la Tête d’Or, “Whispering Mountains,” imagined by the Australian collective ENESS, will also explore possibilities offered by digital technologies and artificial intelligence. For the organizers, these works testify to the transformations currently affecting the artistic sector, notably in design and production methods.
Popular culture will also be highlighted with “Level Up,” an installation inspired by Pac-Man, at Place des Jacobins. The famous video game character will be placed around the fountain, accompanied by giant luminous figures. This proposal aims to attract a family audience by dialoguing the arcade game universe with contemporary lighting techniques. At Place Bellecour, visitors will be able to participate in “Twist & Shine,” an interactive work composed of about a hundred manipulable luminous elements. The large Lyon square will thus regain an important place in the route, after a 2025 edition marked by its absence from the main program.
A Popular Festival That Also Celebrates Lyon’s Heritage
The history and heritage of Lyon remain at the heart of the event. At Place Antonin-Poncet, “La Lumière de la vitesse,” created by the BK studio, will celebrate the 45th anniversary of the TGV connection between Paris and Lyon. The work will retrace the history of high-speed train travel through landscapes and scenes evoking journeys and encounters. At Place des Terreaux, “Le Carnaval des animaux,” inspired by Camille Saint-Saëns’s composition, will transform the façades into an animated spectacle. The Saint-Jean Cathedral will host “S.E.P.T.E.M,” a projection dedicated to symbolic transformations of matter.
Solidarity will also maintain an important place with the “Lumignons du Cœur” operation. Installed this year at Place Bellecour, it will support the Lyon association Vivre aux Éclats, which works with children, elderly people, and adults with disabilities in care facilities. The lumignons will be offered at two euros, with proceeds donated to the association. Between spectacular creations, environmental concerns, and solidarity initiatives, the Fête des Lumières 2026 will thus seek to preserve its popular identity while questioning transformations in the contemporary world. Visitors will be able to discover the installations from Saturday, December 5 to Tuesday, December 8, with schedules adapted according to the sites.
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