Berlin, September 23rd, 2026 (The Berlin Spectator) – Berlin’s Festival of Lights is back for its 22nd edition, running from October 9th through the 18th under the theme “Colours of Love.” For ten nights, roughly 40 landmarks, buildings and public spaces across the city will be lit up with 3D video mapping, facade projections, illuminated trees and light installations, with most shows running nightly from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m..
The Brandenburg Gate, the Victory Column, the Berlin TV Tower and the Oberbaum Bridge are once again among the sites hosting 3D mapping shows this year. Bebelplatz is shaping up to be one of the festival’s busiest spots, with the Hotel de Rome and Behren Palais lit through 3D mapping and the State Opera, St. Hedwig’s Cathedral and the Humboldt University law faculty each receiving artistic architectural treatments.
The historic Nikolai Quarter also returns with colorful tree lighting and the “Angels of Love” installation, and film fans can catch a “Babylon Berlin” themed video piece at Rathausstrasse 17. One notable absence from this year’s lineup so far is Charlottenburg Palace, which took part last year but has not been listed among this year’s sites. Organizers say the roughly 35 confirmed locations will be joined by additional ones “shortly”.
Different Facets
Festival director Birgit Zander has described this year’s edition as a tribute to what she called perhaps the most beautiful and at the same time deepest of all feelings, love, with the ten nights each exploring a different facet of the theme.
Berlin Cathedral is this year’s central venue, hosting two ticketed programs. Over the festival’s opening weekend, from October 9th through the 11th, the cathedral will be lit both outside and in for “Beyond the Light”, a new 30 minute 3D show projected onto the altar area under the title “Reflections”, accompanied by electronic music from the duo Good Vibes Tribe 11:11. Eight shows are planned across the three evenings, with tickets priced at a flat 28 Euro.
From October 13th through the 17th, the cathedral hosts the second edition of “Festival of Lights in Concert”, combining 3D projections with live electronic sets from artists including Alle Farben, Klangkarussell, Westbam, Anja Schneider, Chris Bekker and Ukai Ndame across ten shows on five evenings. Tickets start at 48 Euro, and some shows are already sold out.
Techno and Trance
New this year, the festival is extending into the night with “Festival of Lights Club Nights,” a collaboration with OM Consult & Event that carries the light and music experience past 11 p.m. into three Berlin clubs. M-BIA will host events on October 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th, PKH Warehouse runs programming across the full festival period from October 9th through the 17th, and MAAYA joins for a single night on October 16th. MAAYA is billing its contribution as an immersive light and sound landscape built around African and African diaspora music, while M-BIA and PKH Warehouse lean toward techno and trance.
Visitors who would rather not plan their own route can book a guided “LightSeeing Tour,” with knowledgeable guides leading walking, bus or boat routes to selected installations. Tour tickets start at 22 Euro.
Since its launch in 2005, the Festival of Lights has grown into one of the world’s best known light art festivals, drawing more than 3.5 million visitors and generating over 800,000 additional overnight hotel stays. It operates under the patronage of Berlin’s Governing Mayor.
Festival of Lights Berlin 2026
Dates: October 9th through 18th, 2026 (main festival), nightly from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Theme: Colours of Love
Locations: Roughly 40 sites across Berlin, including the Brandenburg Gate, Victory Column, TV Tower, Oberbaum Bridge, Nikolai Quarter and Bebelplatz
Beyond the Light (Berlin Cathedral):
October 9th: 7 p.m., 8:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
October 10th: 8 p.m., 9:15 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
October 11th: 8 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.
Tickets: 28 Euro flat rate
Festival of Lights in Concert (Berlin Cathedral):
October 13th through 17th, ten shows across five evenings
Lineup: Chris Bekker, Klangkarussell, Westbam, Anja Schneider, Alle Farben, Ukai Ndame
Tickets: from 48 Euro, some shows already sold out
Festival of Lights Club Nights (new this year):
M-BIA: October 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th, Dircksenstrasse 123/124
PKH Warehouse: October 9th through 17th, Dorotheenstrasse 30
MAAYA: October 16th, from 7 p.m., Revaler Strasse 99
LightSeeing Tours: From 22 Euro, walking, bus or boat routes available
