Festival of Lights Zagreb

The brightest welcome to spring!

Enlighten. Brighten. Light up. Amaze! Incandescence. Luminescence. Illusion. Confusion!

Light art is a new discipline that has escaped the confines of museum walls, its artists using as their canvas the city, its buildings, its monuments, the night sky itself. Part art, part design, architecture and entertainment spectacle, the festival both brings you something beautiful to look at and something to make you see your world differently.

Festivals of Light are bringing an exciting new dimension to ever more cities around the world, enrobing their famous monuments in vivid hues or using them as an integral part of creative works.

In 2017 Zagreb’s very first Festival of Lights was a four-day celebration of spring that included experiencing a light harp and challenged visitors to win a prize in a unique laser maze.

Festival of Lights Zagreb is one of the first events heralding the new tourist season, enticing us outside to enjoy a spring night in the city and to witness innovative art and the joy of light. Just one more reason to visit Zagreb!

Ministarstvo Vanjskih i Europskih poslova

Dear fellow citizens, dear visitors,

According to the governing authorities’ instructions and recommendations, the fourth Festival of Lights Zagreb, which was scheduled for 18–22 March, has been postponed until October!
Zagreb Tourist Board is actively monitoring the situation regarding the coronavirus and adapts all its activities accordingly. ZTB will decide on the new Festival dates after all conditions for the event to take place have been met, without any risk to visitors’ health and safety.

Festival of Lights Zagreb, 3/20 - 3/24/2019

Magic Forest / Tunnel Grič

In the central part of the Grič Tunnel, a tunnel beneath Gradec Hill that connects Mesnička and Radićeva streets, you will suddenly find yourself in the middle of a magical forest. Guided by the artist’s hand, light creates shapes of plants and animals that present the atmosphere of this unique forest.

Dew and Flowers / Art Park

Is there anything more beautiful than the cool, dewy freshness of a springtime morning? Take a walk through our meadow dotted with light drops that glisten like early morning dew, and blooming flowers celebrating the arrival of spring.

Light Guardians / Tomićeva Street

As you walk through the Tomićeva Street, or take the stairs by the cable car to walk up to the Upper Town, light beams illuminating the sky will show you the way to your favourite spot and serve as your guide in the magic world of light.

Lighthouse / Lotrščak Tower

From the iconic Lotrščak Tower, a symbol of the Upper Town, light beams invite you to enter the magical old town. Welcome!

Lounge Lights / Strossmayer Promenade - east

When you feel like sitting down for a moment to rest a little or freshen up, here is a great room with furniture designed out of light. It looks like your sitting room, except you will be welcomed here by your “light” hosts, Mirror Crew and Flower Couple who alternate every 30 minutes so that every visitor can have their picture taken with them. Come and enjoy the sweet music, sit comfortably in the light furniture, have something to drink and spend a wonderful moment with your special light friends.

Tic Tac Toe / Strossmayer Promenade - west

This illumination of the Tic-Tac-Toe game is here for you to have fun. It is an invitation to play for kids and those who wish to feel like children again…

Honeycomb / Vranyczany Plateau

Where there is nature and flowers, there are bees too. At Vranicani Poljana, a 4D illumination of a honeycomb is another symbol of spring and the awakening of the bountiful nature.

Aquarium / Grič Park

Three light installations in the Grič Park feature 3D light fish swimming across the front façade of the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service building, a hologram gold fish and a school of fish “swimming” through the unique aquarium.

Stained - glass windows of st. Catherine's Church / St. Chaterine's Church

The beautiful sacral features of this historical church, a symbol of the Upper Town, are transported to the outside walls of the church by light beams shining through its elegant stained glass windows.

Chandelier in the Gallery / Klovićevi dvori Gallery Atrium

The interplay of light, colour and movement reflected by the beautiful chandelier in the atrium of the famous Klovićevi Dvori Gallery to the background of music inviting you to dance are an invitation to enjoy a romantic moment. We can promise you will not be able to resist the invitation to cut across the floor among the dancing lights, colours and people… Come dance!

#Wall / Klovićevi dvori Gallery

The Festival of Lights features light attractions that create joyful feelings and fascination by light. Let’s create memories together! Why don’t you have your favourite photo of the festival printed right here on the spot, using #ZagrebLights and add your snapshot to the photo mosaic to become an image within the image.

Awakening / Jezuitski Square

Music, dance movement and 3D video mapping all help to create a very special show. Dance and lights make it a dancing experience to remember…

Aquastreet / Opatička Street

This is not just any street in the Upper Town with people walking down the street… It is the rippling surface of water symbolizing the source of all life.

Metamorphosis / Croatian Institute of History

This is today; tomorrow it will be different… There is constant change in life as in this interplay of lights and figures. A light installation accompanied by instrumental music creating a special ambiance will inspire you to contemplate beauty and life…

Cloud Pergola (Mathematized Cloud) / Zagreb City Museum - big courtyard

This work of art was presented in the Croatian pavilion at the 16th Biennale Architettura 2018, part of the Biennale in Venice. The atmosphere created by light stems from the design of the installation that alludes to the light changing during the day from dawn to sunset.

Spring Flowers / Vraz Promenade

We know the spring has come when everything is in bloom. The Vraz Promenade is full of pretty flowers outlined by a play of light. Welcome, spring!

Dream Playground / Dubravkin put (Children's Playground)

Every park for children is a wonderful thing to see because of children playing and laughing. This park with light installations is a park that every child dreams about. Constantly changing colours, children’s favourite games and light effects make this park a joyful sight.

Lasers Show / Tuškanac Summer Stage

When the master urban dancers of the Atomic Dance Factory join forces with Prolight lasers, together they will create a light show to remember.

Meteorites / Tuškanac

Did you know that meteorites lose their glow when they fall to the earth? Most of them do, but not our meteorites! A visually extraordinary light show symbolises our deepest wish, for the light to go on and on…

Peach Blossom Source / Strossmayer Promenade - west

Spring is all about flowers and the prettiest of all flowering trees, the iconic peach in bloom. Beautiful traditional Chinese lanterns outlined with light and the peach flowers symbolize the spring and joie de vivre.

Heading to better / Grič Park

Traditional Chinese lanterns are fitted with LED lights inside - fish in vivid colours. "Swimming" in their unique aquarium, the fish beckon us to follow them, in keeping with the old Chinese wisdom of "heading to better", and move forward to a better time, a time of opulence...

Panda Land / Gradec Summer Cinema

The Panda is a delightful light installation showing the charming animal that is so dear to our hearts and a perfect companion for children to have their picture taken with their beloved panda.

Please be advise that some of the light installations on the Festival might not be suitable for people with photosensitive epilepsy.