Four routes for four days!
To really make the most of the Fête des Lumières, prepare your tour!
The Presqu’île, from Place Bellecour to Place des Terreaux…
Set off from Place Antonin Poncet on the banks of the Rhône, and discover The Shape of Things... Make your way towards Bellecour, with its Ferris wheel and famous equestrian statue. This year, Place Bellecour will be transformed into a refreshment area where you can grab a bite to eat and enjoy a rest as you contemplate the two installations that will be set up there: I love Light and Mirror Mountain.
You can then make a stop at Fondation Bullukian, which will be hosting Soi-Même, a project involving a choreographer, a set designer, a lighting designer and ten young autistic people.
Next, head for Place des Célestins (via quai des Célestins and rue Gaspard André) where the theatre is always a source of inspiration for lighting designers, as is the fountain on the Place des Jacobins. Here you will find the installation Murmuration, like a cloud of birds moving through the air in unison.
Walk along Rue de la République, with its illuminations, until you reach Place de la République. Here you can admire a very graphical work. Continue your journey to Place de la Bourse. Light installations will be dotted along the way.
Walk along Rue de la République to Place Louis Pradel. This square will be hosting UNICODE光3D, which will project writing from around the world using light accompanied by sounds. On your right, you will see the Opera House and, on your left, the courtyard of honour of the Hôtel de Ville. From here, walk to Place des Terreaux. It’s always very spectacular! This year’s festival promises many treats with the Grand Mix at Lyon’s Musée des Beaux-arts (Museum of Fine Arts). Prepare yourself to be surprised, amused and even amazed by this original work produced by Inook (creators of the famous Anooki characters), which will cover the facades of the Palais des Beaux-arts and the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall).
Next, head to La Martinière. Take a stroll and then make your way to Place Sathonay. You will be able to discover Expérimentations étudiantes, a series of experimental installations by students of architecture, the fine arts, light architecture and more. The next generation is well prepared to pick up the baton!
Vieux-Lyon, Quais de Saône and Fourvière Hill.
From Bellecour, head to the Quais de Saône, where you can take in the riverside façades that border Vieux-Lyon (Old Lyon), with Fourvière hill in the background.
Cross the river Saône and walk to the cathedral. Its façade is transformed into a myriad of colours, which are broken up and recreated in various ways, differently each year, to tell the story of the city or of life or, like this year, of the passing of Time by Filip Roca from Barcelona.
Go to Quai Romain Rolland.
Further along, on your left, the façade of Saint-Paul station will be lit up and transformed beneath your gaze.
Cross Pont La Feuillée bridge and make your way to Les Subsistances for the Bal Lumière (ball).
To return, walk along the river bank towards Place Bellecour.
Towards Tête d'Or Park
From Place des Terreaux, cross the river Rhône, and walk along the banks of the Rhône. Follow the luminous trail until you reach Tête d'Or Park. It will be enhanced by the light installations Alcove Ltd and then Urban oracle. In the park, where you will find the dreamlike ambiance: Firefly Field is like a bed of glowing beetles lining each side of the path. Le Parc du Nombre d'Or by Javier Riera plays with the trees to create evolving geometric patterns linked to nature. Agorythm by OnionLab is an immersive and poetic installation, which translates data from the city (such as air and water quality, or bicycle traffic density) into laser beams in real time. An amazing and fascinating concept.
Lastly, make your way to the Roseraie du Parc where Les Lumignons du Cœur (an initiative that raises funds for charity by selling small candle lanterns known as ‘lumignons’) will create a magnificent garden of light. It will be formed of some 270 bouquets, more than 3000 lumignon flowers, and 12,000 candle flames in total. You are welcome to add your own to the display (€2). This year, profits from sales will be donated to the Salvation Army Foundation. An installation not to be missed at this year’s festival!
For families: Blandan Park
The Festival of Lights welcomes children to explore a space that is specially dedicated to them – Blandan Park. It will be transformed into a vast family area for fun experiments and light technologies. Kids will love it and so will you! This friendly space will offer snacks and refreshments. Opening times have been adapted on this site, starting at 5:30 pm.
New places being visited by the festival
This year, the Festival of Lights will be extending its range and covering several new sites:
The garden of the Institut Lumière (Lyon 69008) will be hosting Beacon, a participative European project involving Craig Morrison, Emilien Guesnard and the residents of the Monplaisir neighbourhood. It has been put forward for three European light festivals, to produce three totally different results. The project is aiming to continue the experience around the world.
The Manufacture des Tabacs: Luminous Book, designed by students from the Bachelor’s in Lighting Design and Management at Lyon 3 University.
it will be decorated with the 300 luminescent birds forming Gazouillis, an installation created by the artist Bibi in collaboration with children from the neighbourhood, using retrieved plastic materials. Until the end of December.
The façade of Saint-Luc Saint-Joseph hospital (Lyon 69007) with Pulse, a laser beam installation inspired by the cardiac and circulatory system. To celebrate the hospital’s twentieth anniversary, this installation will remain visible until the end of December.
The façade of the municipal library of Part-Dieu, which is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, will be lit up until March 2023, in a colourful 1970s pop and psychedelia style!
On Fourvière Hill, La Région des Lumières will be lighting up the basilica throughout the month of December 2022. Created by the team from Les Allumeurs de Rêves.
You will find the full programme at www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr
Isabelle, our editor born and bred in Lyon! She was born in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon in fact, studied in Lyon and now lives here. Territorial? Absolutely not! She loves travelling, widening her horizons, meeting new people and enjoys a change of scenery (without snow, if possible). Isabelle is curious and a people person, two attributes that often go hand in hand! Her favourite colour is green and her motto "a day without laughter is a day wasted!"
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