Amsterdam Light Festival 2026–27: dates, times

The Amsterdam Light Festival turns the canals of the city centre into an open-air gallery every winter: artists from around the world install light artworks above the water, on bridges and along the quays. The short answer for this season: the 15th edition runs from Thursday 26 November 2026 to Sunday 17 January 2027. According to the organisers, the artworks are lit daily from about 16:30 to 23:00 – with one exception: on 31 December the festival closes at 21:00.

Amsterdam Light Festival 2026–27 at a glance

All dates and times from the festival's own website (see sources). Cruise departure times are only listed in the festival ticket shop and change with the season, so check them there before you book.

The festival runs for 53 evenings, through Christmas and New Year. Its information point is open Thursday to Sunday from 16:30 to 21:00, and daily from 19 December to 3 January; it is closed on 25 and 31 December.

Two ways to see it: on foot or by boat

The artworks are placed so that you can see them from the water and from the quays. That gives you two classic ways to visit:

• On foot: the walking route is 4.5 km long. You can walk all of it or just a section – the festival app shows the route. The app has two guided walks: the Light Walk, an audio guide that explains the artworks and the festival theme, and the Kids Walk for children aged about 7 to 12, with fun facts, quiz questions and a scavenger hunt. According to the organisers the app and the walks are available from November 2026.
• By boat: a festival cruise takes about 75 minutes and passes the artworks from the water, which is how most of them are designed to be seen. Several canal boat operators run their own light festival cruises; tickets for evening slots around Christmas and on weekends sell out first.

If you have only one evening, a cruise is the most relaxed way to see many works in a short time. If you have two, walk one evening and take the boat on the other – the perspective is completely different.

When to go

The festival is busiest on Friday and Saturday evenings and in the Christmas holidays. For a calmer visit:

• Go on a weekday, ideally Monday to Wednesday.
• Start right after dark. In late November and December it is dark early, so you can see the first artworks shortly after 16:30 and still have dinner afterwards.
• Avoid 31 December if the festival is your main reason to come – it closes at 21:00 that night, and the city is very full.

Weather from November to January

Averages 2015–2024 from the ERA5 reanalysis (via Open-Meteo), rounded.

It rarely freezes, but it is damp and often windy, and on the water it feels colder than on land. On the walking route you stand still a lot in front of the artworks, so a warm layer, a hat and waterproof shoes help. YesTrip shows you the forecast for your actual travel days and suggests matching clothes in the packing list.

Getting there and getting around

From London, Amsterdam is about an hour by plane, and direct trains from London St Pancras take around four hours. From Schiphol airport, trains run to Amsterdam Centraal in about a quarter of an hour. Within the city, trams and walking are all you need; the festival area lies in the centre and east of the old town. Trains from Belgium, France and Germany are easy to compare at train tickets to Amsterdam^* (Omio).

If you leave on the day after your last festival evening and want one more walk, there is luggage storage in central Amsterdam^* (Radical Storage), so you do not have to carry your bag around in the evening. Museums for the daytime, such as the Rijksmuseum or the NEMO science museum, can be booked as timed tickets for Amsterdam museums^* (Tiqets).

Where to stay

• Grachtengordel (canal ring): right on the canals, everything on foot, but the most expensive.
• Plantage and the Eastern Docklands: close to the eastern part of the old town, calmer at night.
• De Pijp or Oud-West: more local, a short tram ride from the centre.

Hotels in Amsterdam are expensive in December too; book early for weekends and the days around New Year.

More than light art

In the daytime, Amsterdam in winter is a city of museums, cafés and walks along the canals. Our article on Amsterdam in December covers the rest of the season, and how many days in Amsterdam helps you decide how long to stay. From outside the EU, a travel eSIM for the Netherlands^* (Airalo) is usually cheaper than roaming – handy for the festival app; our eSIM price index compares the prices per gigabyte.

In YesTrip, "What's on" lists festivals, events and holidays on the days of your trip, and you can add them to the day plan with one tap – an evening on the light route next to a day in the museums.

Amsterdam trip planDay by day, with map and tips

* Ad – Partner link: if you book there, we earn a commission. Your price stays the same.