Photos: Magical images as Lyon launches its 25th Fête des Lumières
Stunning light shows take place in the evenings at 32 different venues
This work is named Laniakea horizon and can be found Place Antonin-Poncet
Lucile Degli Esposti
The 25th edition of the Fête des Lumières took place in Lyon on December 5 to 8 featuring spectacular luminous displays on the city’s buildings by artists.
The festival featured professional light shows and residents’ candles and lamps lighting up the city, attracting millions of visitors.
The theme of the 2024 festival was 'emotion', with a total of 32 events around the city.
In one such event, the Gare Saint-Paul was the canvas for three artists to showcase their creativity and ability to generate emotional reactions from their spectators with a light show.
On the Quais de Saône, a film named ‘L’enfant lumière’ (the light child) was projected on the walls, telling the story of a filament lamp eternally shining in a hangar.
Click to scroll through images:
The history of the event
The festival dates back to 1852. A statue of the Virgin Mary was due to be erected on Fourvière Hill in Lyon on September 8, 1852, but it was delayed to December 8 to coincide with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Due to more bad weather, the statue was not put up. Instead, the people of Lyon decided to place lit candles on windowsills in the evening in solidarity, lighting up the city. The tradition on December 8 has continued ever since.
