The Amsterdam Light Festival – All you want to know

It’s the most wonderful time of the year in Amsterdam – a regular city becomes unforgettable. It’s the time to head towards where their light festival is. All over the world people are celebrating certain events with lights, and the end of November is when it’s Amsterdam’s time to come alive with this fantastic cultural event.

See Amsterdam with new eyes at the light festival

Perfect examples of other light festivals are Diwali, the festival of lights celebrated by Hindus from October to December as well as the festival for Jewish people. They celebrate their Festival of Lights known as Hanukkah or Chanukah. Wherever these festivals are held, they bring happiness and delight to everyone.

Meltdown in the Netherlands

Winter time in the Netherlands promises to be hot and inviting and you can experience this magical event over a period of 55 nights. This annual festival brings artists, light designers and experts from around the world. Of course, the lights won’t be the only attraction, and you’ll be able to roam around the city and enjoy many other attractions, all with a vibrant cultural scene.
Look at ‘De Negen Straatjes’ or The Nine Streets for instance – a wonderful area of cobbled streets where you’ll find more than 200 retailers selling anything from fabrics to art to jewellery, clothing and furniture. That’s just it – you can enjoy the festival and still plan other activities.

When is the Amsterdam light festival

From late November to early January are the dates you want to mark off on your calendar, as this is the time of the light festival. Wander around the city and explore the large-scale light installations that will be dotting Amsterdam’s iconic canals.

The Amsterdam Light Festival is already showing a build-up of feverish excitement, even though it will only be in November, running into January 2020. It is the city’s 7th edition light festival and is literally Amsterdam’s time to shine and be in the limelight, attracting visitors from all over the world.
It is expected to be brilliant again and will involve lots of Dutch- as well as international artists. There is an area in Amsterdam known as the Canal Ring and also the River Amstel, and these areas, as well as other special locations, will be the settings for some amazingly spectacular light sculptures.

Light, Art, Water and Boats – An entertaining mix

What is cool about this extraordinary event is that everything can be viewed from a boat, making the entire Festival of Lights double the fun. This is particularly so when you cast your eyes over the reflections in the water. You’ll see no less than 30 to 40 pieces of illuminated artworks with the theme being ‘The Medium is the Message’.
This 7th edition light spectacle is going to be wonderful, especially when seen from aboard a special Amsterdam Light Festival cruise. What a pleasure, gliding down the canals, looking around and being able to see illuminated artworks. No need to put on your thinking caps either because you’ll be provided with fascinating titbits of information on the works of art and the city in general.

These boat trips will depart every day and throughout the day, and because it’s Winter in Amsterdam, you can also experience a delicious cup of hot chocolate or something strong to warm the cockles.

It is such a popular way of seeing the events, but reserving your spot on a boat will be imperative. You’ll have splendid photographic opportunities on these boats too – the perfect opportunity for you to put photographs on social media so that all your friends and family can see that ‘you’ve been there, done that’.

Research the kind of cruise boat trip you want

You just have to do a bit of research though on these boats, as each one is different, catering to different budgets. Some people essentially just want the boat trip to see the lights while others want to turn the whole event into a party where there is delicious food and wine complete with other luxuries and entertainment.

Light can communicate in a way that other mediums can’t and this is what you’ll discover with the 2019/2020 Amsterdam Light Festival. It’s an event for singles, couples and families and guarantees fun and friendship galore. You’ll quickly discover the reason why people rave about this unique pleasure in the Netherlands – it’s the making of magical memories to keep with you forever.