The CalendarThrow Distance — Shows Worth Seeing

Light Art Festivals to See in 2026

A continuously-updated guide to light-art and projection festivals in 2026 — dates, cities, and the artists behind each, curated by Throw Distance.

21 shows · updated weekly · see the full calendar

Closing Sep 6

Berlin New Media Week 2026

Berlin, Germany

Berlin New Media Week

Through Sep 6, 2026 · 1 day left

Opens Sep 9

Ars Electronica Festival 2026 — Negotiating Humanity, key visual courtesy Ars Electronica

Linz, Austria

Ars Electronica Festival 2026 — Negotiating Humanity

Opens Sep 9, 2026 — through Sep 13, 2026

Opens Sep 17

Courtesy Illumination NYC

Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park — New York, USA

Illumination NYC Light Art Festival

Opens Sep 17, 2026 — through Sep 19, 2026

Opens Oct 3

Goat Farm Arts Center — courtesy Discover Atlanta

Goat Farm Arts Center — Atlanta, USA

SITE 2026

Opens Oct 3, 2026 — through Oct 3, 2026

1024 architecture

Opens Oct 3

Nuit Blanche Toronto — courtesy City of Toronto

Toronto, Canada

Nuit Blanche Toronto

Opens Oct 3, 2026 — through Oct 4, 2026

Opens Oct 8

BLINK Cincinnati — courtesy BLINK

Cincinnati, USA

BLINK Cincinnati

Opens Oct 8, 2026 — through Oct 11, 2026

Opens Oct 9

Festival of Lights Berlin, Brandenburg Gate projection — courtesy Festival of Lights

Berlin, Germany

Festival of Lights Berlin

Opens Oct 9, 2026 — through Oct 18, 2026

Opens Oct 15

Signal Festival, Prague — photo Dušan Vondra, courtesy Signal Festival

Prague, Czech Republic

Signal Festival

Opens Oct 15, 2026 — through Oct 18, 2026

Opens Nov 7

Photo: Paul Raats — GLOW Eindhoven

Eindhoven, Netherlands

GLOW Eindhoven

Opens Nov 7, 2026 — through Nov 14, 2026

Opens Nov 13

Creek Show 2026 — courtesy Waterloo Greenway

Waterloo Greenway — Austin, USA

Creek Show 2026

Opens Nov 13, 2026 — through Nov 21, 2026

Yuliya Lanina

Opens Nov 15

Staro Rīga, Latvian National Library — courtesy LiveRiga

Riga, Latvia

Staro Rīga (Beaming Riga)

Opens Nov 15, 2026 — through Nov 18, 2026

Opens Nov 23

Courtesy LuminoCity Festival

Randall's Island Park — New York, USA

LuminoCity Festival

Opens Nov 23, 2026 — through Jan 5, 2027

Opens Nov 26

Amsterdam Light Festival — courtesy Amsterdam Light Festival

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam Light Festival (Edition 15)

Opens Nov 26, 2026 — through Jan 17, 2027

Opens Nov 27

Illuminate SF — courtesy San Francisco Travel Association

Citywide — San Francisco, USA

Illuminate SF Festival of Light

Opens Nov 27, 2026 — through Jan 31, 2027

Leo Villareal · Jenny Holzer · Erwin Redl

Opens Dec 3

LUNA Fête — Photo: Bryce Ell, courtesy Arts New Orleans

Downtown New Orleans — New Orleans, USA

LUNA Fête 2026

Opens Dec 3, 2026 — through Dec 6, 2026

Opens Dec 5

Fête des Lumières 2025, Gare Saint-Paul — Ville de Lyon

Lyon, France

Fête des Lumières

Opens Dec 5, 2026 — through Dec 8, 2026

Opens Dec 30

Lux Helsinki — photo Otso Kähönen, courtesy City of Helsinki

Helsinki, Finland

Lux Helsinki

Opens Dec 30, 2026 — through Jan 6, 2027

Opens Jan 29

Kobe Luminarie — official mark, courtesy Kobe Luminarie Organizing Committee

Kobe, Japan

Kobe Luminarie

Opens Jan 29, 2027 — through Feb 7, 2027

Opens Feb 5

Llum BCN — photo Xavi Torrent, courtesy Barcelona City Council

Barcelona, Spain

Llum BCN

Opens Feb 5, 2027 — through Feb 7, 2027

Opens May 28

Vivid Sydney, Sydney Opera House — courtesy Destination NSW

Sydney, Australia

Vivid Sydney

Opens May 28, 2027 — through Jun 19, 2027

Opens Jul 2

GAMMA Festival, Saint Petersburg — courtesy GAMMA

Saint Petersburg, Russia

GAMMA Festival 2027

Opens Jul 2, 2027 — through Jul 5, 2027