Festival of Lights

Every October, the Festival of Lights floods Berlin with light for around ten evenings. Elaborate projections, light installations and video mapping turn landmarks like the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral), the Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall) and the Siegessäule (Victory Column) into moving artworks, with artists from all over the world painting stories, patterns and color across the facades.

The best way to see it is on foot: many of the illuminated sites sit within walking distance of each other in Mitte, so a single evening loop covers most of the highlights. Access to the installations is free, and only guided tours and boat trips cost money. October evenings in Berlin are cold and dark early, which works in your favor here. To avoid the thickest crowds, start your walk right after sunset or leave it until late in the evening.

How the festival began

The Festival of Lights has been around since 2005. It was started by the Berlin event organizer Birgit Zander, who began with a handful of illuminated buildings. Today light artists from many countries work on dozens of facades, squares and structures. The fall date is deliberate: in October it gets dark early, while the weather is often still mild enough for long walks.

What you get to see

The works range from static lighting that bathes a building in color to elaborate video mappings in which a facade tells a story, falls apart or moves in a loop lasting a few minutes. Each edition has a motto, and in 2026 it was “Colours of Love.” Typical venues are the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Cathedral, the TV Tower, the area around Potsdamer Platz and the buildings around Bebelplatz and Unter den Linden. Which buildings take part changes from year to year, so check the current map.

Dates

• 2026: The 22nd edition ran October 9 to 18, 2026, daily from 7 to 11 p.m. (already over).
• 2027: No date for 2027 had been announced as of October 2026. So far the festival has always taken place in the first half of October.

As of October 2026. You can find current dates and the site map at festival-of-lights.de.

A walking route

Most of the light installations in Mitte are close enough together that you can walk them in two to three hours. A route that works well:

1. Start at Potsdamer Platz (U2, S-Bahn), then head north along Ebertstraße.
2. Brandenburg Gate and Pariser Platz. This is the most crowded spot in the early evening, so allow a few minutes to watch one full loop of the projection.
3. Along Unter den Linden, with detours to Bebelplatz and to Gendarmenmarkt if it is part of the program.
4. Lustgarten, the cathedral and Museum Island.
5. Finish at the TV Tower and Alexanderplatz, where the U-Bahn and S-Bahn take you in every direction.

If you would rather not walk, you can head for individual venues on the U5, which stops at Brandenburger Tor, Unter den Linden, Museumsinsel and Rotes Rathaus between Hauptbahnhof and Alexanderplatz.

Weather, clothing and cost

In mid-October, evening temperatures in Berlin are often only in the single digits Celsius (the 40s Fahrenheit), and the wind cuts between the buildings. A windproof jacket and sturdy shoes matter more than you might think in the afternoon. In the rain the projections usually keep running, and on wet pavement their reflections look especially good. Viewing the light art itself costs nothing. You only spend money if you book a guided tour, a boat trip or a bus tour that covers the venues in less time.

Tips for good photos

• Tripod or a steady surface. In low light, photos blur easily. A wall or a railing helps if you have no tripod with you.
• Step back a little. Projections look better from a distance, and right in front of the facade you only see part of it.
• Wait for the full loop. Mappings run in cycles of a few minutes, and the strongest image does not always come first.
• Charge your battery fully. Cold and long exposures drain it faster than you expect.

Common mistakes

Many people arrive at the Brandenburg Gate at exactly 7 p.m. and end up in the thickest crowd. Later in the evening, from about 9:30 p.m., it gets noticeably quieter. Another mistake is heading only for the best-known venues. Some of the most unusual installations are on less famous buildings that appear only on the festival map. And if you drive into Mitte, you lose a lot of time, because parking is scarce around the venues and some streets are closed.

Combine it with

October works well for museum visits by day and light art by night. Before your walk, the DDR Museum on the bank of the Spree or the German Historical Museum are good options. If you want to see the city from above afterward, our article on viewpoints suggests places, and for late evenings there are ideas in Berlin by night.