Amsterdam Light Festival 2021
Amsterdam Light Festival is a major attraction of the city during the festive season of December and January. It is an annual festival that has been taking place in the center of Amsterdam since 2012 as beautiful elaborate art displays, decorating the whole city and beautifying the city’s iconic canals. Several hundreds of artists, designers, and architects submit their light artwork. Only a selection of 20 artworks gets chosen by the committee and are put up for display as the festival installation. It is a grand event, featuring works of prominent artists and attracting tourists to enjoy the magnificent sight by taking a city walk or a luxurious canal cruise during the festival hours.
Amsterdam Light Festival is a private initiative that happens to be a grand celebration organized by the joint collaboration of the board and management, including the municipality, cultural organizations, and commercial organizations. The selection board for the Light Festival consists of representatives from different organizations in the city.
EDITION #10 Dates and Hours
December 2, 2021 to January 23, 2022
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Amsterdam Light Festival is in its #10th edition, which will be taking place from December 2 of 2021, Thursday, until January 23 of 2022, Sunday, at the heart of the city of Amsterdam.
The light artworks of the Amsterdam Light Festival are on display seven days a week, from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
Due to COVID regulations and to ensure the safety of the visitors, changes have been made to the Amsterdam Light Festival timings for its initial days. As per the new timings, the festival can be enjoyed in the early morning hours and in the late afternoon.
The timings of the Amsterdam Light Festival from December 2, 2021, to December 19, 2021, will be:
- Early Morning Hours: 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM (21 of 23 light artworks will be switched on)
- Late Afternoon Hours: 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM (All 23 light artworks will be switched on)
While the revised timings ensure the safety of the visitors, it also allows the guests to enjoy the enchanting light works during breakfast in the early morning hours, or against the lovely background of the sunset hour during the late afternoon.
- Amsterdam Light Festival Cruises depart every 30 minutes and they are scheduled to align with the festival timings. Cruises take around 75 minutes, depending on the type of boat you chose.
- The walk is approximately 6.5 kilometers long and can be experienced at any moment during the light festival hours.
COVID-19 Measures & Safety Guidelines At Amsterdam Light Festival
- Edition #10 of the Amsterdam Light Festival is being held following all the safety guidelines laid out by the government to ensure the safety of the visitors and tourists.
- Visitors are requested to follow COVID safety norms at all times.
- Visitors are requested to wear masks at all times.
- Visitors are encouraged to sanitize their hands.
- While taking the Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise, visitors might be requested to go through temperature checks. Please make sure to carry a valid government ID, and vaccination certificate as visitors above 12 might be asked to show the documents, depending on the kind of cruise you take.
- Visitors are encouraged to book their Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise tickets in advance by purchasing online tickets to maintain social distancing.
Where Is The Amsterdam Light Festival Being Held?
Amsterdam Light Festival is a public event where the light installations are placed in public spaces in the city’s heart. With walking and canal cruise as an option, tourists and visitors can enjoy the light festival in several ways by taking the walking tours, Amsterdam Canal Cruise, Amsterdam Boat Tours, or Amsterdam Canal Dinner Cruises where you get to enjoy magnificent views while enjoying a luxurious meal on a cruise.
Amsterdam Light Festival 2021: Highlights
In Editon #10 of Amsterdam Light Festival, several primary schools have taken part, with over 1000 students participating in the campaigns against child poverty workshops. The projects help the kids learn about activism and also help in contributing to the installation, which will be a part of the festival route.
Amsterdam Canals
Amsterdam Canals form concentric belts around the city, stretching over 100 miles with 90 islands and 1500 bridges. The iconic canals were dug in the 17th Century and has over 1550 historical buildings built on its canals, making it get enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Light Festival Installations
Amsterdam Light Festival is a yearly festival that takes place in the winter months of Amsterdam during December and January. Currently, in its edition #10, the festival displays light arts and installations made by several artists, designers, and architects, along with light art projects of school children.
360 Degree View
One of the major reasons for taking a Canal Cruise to watch the Amsterdam Light Festival is to have a surreal experience while having a 360 Degree View of festivity and the installations while floating on the canals and enjoying the ambiance of the festival, making the moments all the more memorable.
Luxurious Cruise Ride
The Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise provides a luxurious way to enjoy the spectacular light installations. The one to two hours ride comes with the options of a semi-open boat for the best views of the festival, an audio guide, heated blankets, drinks, and food options, making your experience memorable.
What Is The Best Way To Enjoy The Amsterdam Light Festival?
Amsterdam Light Festival is a public event that takes place in the winter months of Amsterdam in December and January. The event takes place in the public spaces of Amsterdam along the iconic Amsterdam Canals, making it possible for anyone in Amsterdam to enjoy it.
Walking Tours
If you are in Amsterdam, you can enjoy this spectacular event in two ways - walking tours and Amsterdam Canal Cruise. Walking tours are mostly free as they involve you walking around the city, admiring the amazing work of art. It is a 6.5km long walk that can only be experienced after 6:30 PM.
Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise
Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruises are luxurious cruise rides that are planned and designed around the Light Festival. As the installations are on the banks of the iconic canals, Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise makes a perfect way to enjoy the festivity and the installations while floating on the canals and enjoying the festival’s ambiance, making the moments all the more memorable.
Why Take Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise?
Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise happens to be the most appealing way to enjoy the gorgeous celebration and display of light arts. Over the past nine editions, it has been the most preferred way to enjoy the light festival, as with the canal cruise, locals, tourists, visitors get the best view of the lights while cruising through the canals of Amsterdam and sailing past the light arts.
The Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruises comes with several options to provide you with an amazing experience, which includes:
- Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise
- Amsterdam Light Festival Semi-Open Boat Cruise
- Amsterdam Light Festival: Drinks & Bites Cruise
- Amsterdam Light Festival: Luxury Canal Cruise Tickets
- Amsterdam Light Festival VIP Canal Cruise: Open Bar & Welcome Cocktail
Plan Your Visit To Amsterdam Light Festival
Edition #10 Amsterdam Light Festival Dates
- Daily from Thursday, December 2, 2021, to Sunday, January 23, 2022.
Opening Hours
- General Timings: 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM
- New Year’s Eve Timings: 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- Important: Due to new Covid regulations, the festival timings for the following period will be:
From December 2 to December 19: 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM & 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruises are scheduled as per the festival timings:
- Amsterdam Light Festival VIP Canal Cruise:
Timings: Daily from Dec 2, 2021, to Jan 24, 2022: 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM; Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes - Amsterdam Light Festival: Drinks & Bites Cruise:
Timings: Daily at 4:00 PM; Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes - Amsterdam Light Festival Semi-Open Boat Cruise:
Timings: Daily at 4:45 PM; Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes - Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise:
Timings: Daily at 4:30 PM; Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes - Amsterdam Light Festival: Luxury Canal Cruise Tickets:
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Boarding Point : Jetty behind the Krasnapolsky hotel, at Oudezijds Voorburgwal 230.
- Address: Oudezijds Voorburgwal 230, 1012 GK Amsterdam, Nederland
- Getting There: 10 minutes walk from the Amsterdam Central Station; 1 minute walk from the Dam Square
Boarding Points:
- Centraal Station - Loetje
Address: Lovers Canal Cruises Boating Point, Stationsplein 10, 1012 AB Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Boarding Point: Lovers Canal Cruises Boating Point
- Address: Prins Hendrikkade 25, in front of Central Station, Amsterdam.
- Getting There:
- Tram: Lines 2, 12, 13, and 17
- Metro: Lines 51, 53, and 54
Accessibility
Wheelchair facilities, audio guides, and other facilities depend on the kind of cruise ticket you choose. For walking tours, you need to keep in mind that the walking route runs through the city center, including uneven pavements and bridges, which might be a cause of concern for those with mobility issues.
Inclusions
The Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise comes with several facilities and inclusions, depending on the ticket you choose. It includes:
- Heated blankets
- Live Guide & Audio Guide
- Food & Drinks
For more details, check your tickets before purchasing.
Amsterdam Light Festival 2021: Light Art
Every year in the winter season of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Light Festival is organized with installations of artworks that are created especially for the festival. Along with all that, special projects artworks made in collaboration with artists, partners, and stakeholders are installed, including special education projects on which primary students and Breitner Academy take part, where the students co-create the festival artworks.
The artworks are installed in public spaces all over Amsterdam near the canals, making them easily accessible to the public.
Permanent Light Art Collection
As the festival spreads from the Sloterplas to the city district South, several light art installations displayed on the different editions of the Amsterdam Light Festival also find their place in the permanent collection. It includes works of artists like Tijdmakers and collaborators like Uilenstede University Campus.
International Light Art Collection
The light art displayed in the Amsterdam Light Festival is too good to be stored away once the festival is over. So to ensure that they receive their due recognition, most of the light artworks become part of an internationally traveling collection, managed by the Light Art Collection, illuminating cities, and exhibitions around the world.
Nieuw-West Project
It is the current project of the Amsterdam Light Festival, in which the area of Amsterdam Nieuw West will see a major change as they get redesigned as the Municipality of Amsterdam coordinates with several real estate parties. It will also find an installation of permanent light art, with several other artworks finding their place in public spaces in the near future
178 Bottles, 1 Message
Made by Tijdmakers, Saskia Hoogendoorn and Lieuwe Martijn Wijnands, the artwork of ‘178 Bottles, 1 Message’ which was displayed in edition #3 has found its place in the permanent palace in Amsterdam West on the Amsterdam Sloterdijk square. Consisting of 178 bottles, its LED lighting represents the different nationalities residing in the city.
The Light Kite
Another one of the creative works by Tijdmakers, which was displayed in edition #4 of the Amsterdam Light Festival which now enjoys its permanent space at the Sloterplas. It is a throwback to the days of our past where we had ample time for ourselves to fly kites without worries. The artwork is symbolic of friendship and the freedom of people’s lives.
Campfire
Commissioned by DUWO and displayed in edition #3 has found its permanent space at the Uilenstede Amstelveen university campus. The artwork seems to remind people about the traditional campfire where people used to come together to tell stories as fire seems to emerge from the tree trunks, making the benches its meeting place.
What Happens To The Artworks After The Amsterdam Light Festival?
Light Art Collection is a subsidiary of Amsterdam Light Festival, which is responsible for creating light art installations for the festival since 2012. It is an internationally traveling collection with an active team looking for opportunities and possibilities for exhibition to provide the artists and their artworks their due recognition and opportunities. After each Amsterdam Light Festival edition, a major part of the artworks are added to the Light Art Collection every year.
Amsterdam Light Festival Edition #10: Projects
Little Match Girl
This project is done in collaboration with organizations like Company New Heroes, Studio Aldo Brinkhoff, and Juf op Straat. It is based on a famous fairy tale of a girl who sells matchsticks but dies of cold and hunger as no one notices her. It is an educational project that is being done to create awareness about child poverty via the modernized fairy tale.
Light Lab Technasium
Created by Caland Lyceum, Damstede Lyceum, Ir. Lely Lyceum, IJburg College, and Kaj Munk College, students of five different technasium schools learn about light art, sketch, and develop a garland, corresponding to the theme ‘Celebrate Light’ together with Eibert Draisma, who happens to be an artist, designer, and inventor.
Minutes In Blue
Minutes In Blue is a light art that draws inspiration from the interplay of natural light and artificial light. Quite like the seven previous editions where the talented students of the Breitner Academy got a spot to promote their knowledge in light, for this edition Kyra, Naomi, and Kira draw inspiration from the interplay of natural light and artificial light.
Visitor Tips
- If you want to enjoy Amsterdam Light Festival by taking a walking tour, make sure you are prepared for a 6.5km walk along the canals and through the city center.
- If you have mobility issues, it is advisable to take the Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise to enjoy the festivity, as the walking tour route includes uneven pavements and bridges.
- If you book an Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise, make sure to carry a valid ID, and participants over 12 years old must present either proof of full vaccination or a negative test taken no more than 24 hours.
- Even with visitor slots, there can be a waiting time in the Canal Cruises as Amsterdam Light Festival is a yearly thing that attracts crowds from all over the world.
- Please make sure to follow the social distancing norms and other safety measures during the Amsterdam Light Festival, which includes sanitizing your hands frequently and covering your nose and mouth with a mask.
All Your Questions About Amsterdam Light Festival Answered
A. Amsterdam Light Festival is an annual festival that has been taking place in the center of Amsterdam since 2012. During the festive season of December and January, artists from all over the world gather to create beautiful elaborate art displays, decorating the whole city and beautifying the city’s iconic canals.
A. Amsterdam Light Festival is a public event where the light installations are placed in public spaces in the heart of the city.
A. This year, Amsterdam is celebrating its edition #10 of the Amsterdam Light Festival.
A. Edition #10 of Amsterdam Light Festival will be taking place from December 2 of 2021, Thursday, until January 23 of 2022, Sunday, at the heart of the city of Amsterdam.
A. The timings of edition #10 of the Amsterdam Light Festival are from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM, every day, and on New Year's Eve until 8:00 PM. It is important to note that due to Covid regulations, from December 2 to December 19, the lights will only be on during the early morning hours and late afternoon hours, that is, from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM, and from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
A. Amsterdam Light Festival is a public event where the light installations are placed in public spaces in the heart of the city. You can enjoy the festival by taking a walking tour or booking a canal cruise. You can book your Amsterdam Canal Cruise tickets online.
A. Amsterdam Light Festival is a private initiative that happens to be a grand celebration organized by the joint collaboration of the board and management, including the municipality, cultural organizations, and commercial organizations.
A. Little Match Girl, Light Lab Technasium, Minutes In Blue are three of the important projects of edition #10 of the Amsterdam Light Festival.
A. With walking and canal cruise as an option, tourists and visitors can enjoy the light festival in several ways by taking the walking tours, Amsterdam Canal Cruise, Amsterdam Boat Tours, or Amsterdam Canal Dinner Cruises, where you get to enjoy magnificent views while enjoying a luxurious meal on a cruise.
A. Most tourists prefer to enjoy the Amsterdam Light Festival by booking a comfortable and luxurious Amsterdam Canal Cruise that offers 360 views of the light festival instead of the 6.5 km walking tour.
A. Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise tickets are available online.
A. Yes, you can buy Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise tickets online.
A. There are multiple Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise ticket options available, each with its own unique feature and facilities. Most tourists prefer the Amsterdam Light Festival Luxury Canal Cruise as it comes with amazing features and inclusions.
A. Yes, Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise tickets include access to the light festival as they are designed around the festival to ensure you get the best experience of the festival with amazing views.
A. Yes, there are Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise tickets which include drinks. Make sure to check your ticket information before purchasing.
A. The duration of the Amsterdam Light Festival Canal Cruise depends on the ticket you are purchasing, as it usually takes lasts between 1 hour 15 minutes to 2 hours.