Sarah
There are a million reasons to visit Berlin – and in October, there’s a million-and-one because the Festival of Lights Berlin takes place for ten days throughout the city!
Markus and I hardly take the time to enjoy our amazing hometown. I am sure you know that stuff: when you are traveling you make sure not to miss anything the city has to offer. But you rarely explore your own – and that’s super weird.
Last Sunday, we finally took the time to explore the Festival of Lights – one of the coolest events that Berlin has to offer! And since we realized that there is little valuable information about it online, we decided to write a full guide about Festival of Lights Berlin so that you can enjoy it easily when you visit Berlin in October!
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What is the Festival of Lights Berlin?
The Festival of Lights Berlin is a light-art event that is held annually for ten days in October since 2005. Major sights in the city are illuminated with various light shows (video and stand-still projections), there’s music playing and people venture around the colorful Berlin streets to see the installations.
The event is entirely free and spread across the whole city. This year there are over 100 different light installations! Each year, there’s a theme to the Festival of Lights Berlin – this year (2019), it is “Lights of Freedom” due to the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
You can also pick up free booklets at tourism information centers or download them from the official website.
Different types of exhibits at Festival of Lights
Basically, there are three different types of exhibits at Festival of Lights Berlin: Light shows with music, stand-still images on walls and smaller light installations (illuminated arts).
The most impressive ones are obviously the light shows (e.g. on the TV tower and Brandenburg Gate). The shows are very short (1-3 mins) and run every few minutes. If the show is not running, there’s a timer telling you once the next show will start.
The next type of illuminations during Festival of Lights Berlin is the stand-still images that are projected on various building facades throughout the city. They are nice to look at but rarely worth a big detour in my opinion.
And last but not least, there are smaller art installations. Most of them are smaller illuminated figures and statues. If you are an art enthusiast, you gonna love them. For me, I personally liked the Light shows the best – but in the end, there’s something for everyone at the Festival of Lights Berlin!
Photo competition + Instagram
You will see plenty of people taking pictures of the light illuminations with professional equipment. And there’s even a photo competition each year for the Festival of Lights Berlin!
Apart from that, you will find some pretty amazing photos on Instagram with the hashtag #festivaloflights (and, much smaller, #festivaloflightsberlin) If you are looking for more Berlin hashtags, check our post on Hashtags for European cities!
Date and Time
Festival of Lights 2019 – 11th to 20th October
The Festival of Lights Berlin is held for ten days every year. In 2019, it ran from the 11th to the 20th of October 2019.
Festival of Lights 2020 – TBD
The timing of the Festival of Lights for 2020 is not confirmed yet. We will update this article as soon as the official Festival of Lights Berlin dates are released for 2020!
Given the dates of previous years, it will probably be held from 9th to 18th of October OR from 16th to 25th of October. Either way, the weekend of 17/18th of October is almost certain for having illuminations!
Timing (7 pm – midnight)
Every year, the light illuminations are shown from 7 pm until midnight every day during the Festival of Lights. In October, the sun sets in Germany around 6 pm – so (not surprisingly) it is already dark once Berlins turn on the lights!
Official Trailer of Festival of Lights Berlin (German)
There’s also an official trailer of Festival of Lights Berlin 2019 on Youtube. The text is in German, but it still gives you a first impression on what to expect from the Festival of Lights Berlin!
The biggest installations of Festival of Lights Berlin
While there are over 100 installations by 80 different artists from all over the world, it’s a small number of attractions that catches most of the attention. The major sights in Berlin with the biggest “Wow”-Factor are all beautifully illuminated and should not be missed!
TV Tower (Alexanderplatz)
In my opinion, the TV Tower on Alexanderplatz is the heart of modern-day Berlin. It’s probably THE one place you can’t miss when visiting Berlin for the first time!
Thus, it’s not surprising that the light show on the TV Tower is one of the coolest and most artistic ones during Festival of Lights Berlin. You’ll get the best view from the front (where the water cascades are)!
Btw. – just a little over a month later, Alexanderplatz will be illuminated again. Because it is also the location of one of Berlin’s biggest Christmas markets – and Berlin has definitely some of the best Christmas markets in Germany!
Berlin Cathedral
We were super surprised by the modern light show that was shown on the front of the Berlin Cathedral on Museum Island. The park is a popular hangout so expect it to be really crowded – keep an eye out for your bag while watching the light show!
Bebelplatz (Humbold University, Hotel de Rome, Opera)
Right next to Berlin Cathedral is the Bebelplatz with the Humbold University, the Hotel de Rome, the State Opera and St. Hedwigs Cathedral.
All of these are illuminated and give an amazing 360° light art view. Hotel de Rome has a 3D light show while the other three are stand-still 3D projections.
Brandenburg Gate
Not really a big surprise, but the Brandenburg Gate also has an amazing light installation during Festival of Lights Berlin. It’s again a 3D video show projected on the back of the gate (on Pariser Platz). This one is definitely a must-see!
Walkable itinerary along with major illuminations
Even though there are various light installations across the whole city, it is fairly easy to walk along with the biggest and most impressive pieces on foot.
We crafted together an itinerary starting on Alexanderplatz and ending at Brandenburg Gate. If you want, you can continue further until Potsdamer Platz. Below is a map with our suggested route for easier navigation!
The whole walking route is around 4km and should take 2-3 hours – depending on how fast you walk and how long you stop at each installation!
Bonus Tip: Where to watch the sunset before near Alexanderplatz
As this route starts on Alexanderplatz and the light installations start running at 7 pm, we suggest you watch the sunset before on Alexanderplatz!
And by far the best place to do so in good weather is the Panorama Terrace of the Park Inn Hotel! It only costs 4€ entrance if you are not a guest at the hotel and you will have superior views of Alexanderplatz. AND you can snap a shot WITH the TV tower in it!
What to wear and what to bring along
The weather in Berlin can be somewhat unstable in October, so you should plan accordingly for your visit to the Festival of Lights Berlin. It is definitely a good idea to pack a small pocket umbrella, even if no rain is predicted!
If it’s really cold already, think about packing a beanie and maybe some mulled wine in a thermos bottle! (We did have one but it was way to warm on Sunday :D)
Here’s a short list of things to think about:
- Pocket umbrella
- Beanie (if cold weather)
- Thermos bottle (filled with whatever floats your boat ;-))
- Camera or smartphone with night mode (I have a Samsung Galaxy S10)
- Power bank (you gonna take lots of pictures and videos)
Lazy Lightseeing – if walking is not your thing
If you are not keen on walking through Berlin for 2-3 hours or the weather is bad, don’t worry. You can still experience Festival of Lights Berlin – in fact, there are various other options!
Bus Tours
There are two bus tours that will take you around all the famous spots at Festival of Lights for 15€/20€ per person. The tours are 2.5-3 hours and pretty convenient if the weather is bad!
We always recommend booking with Get your Guide as the website is super easy to handle and their support is great! Just click on the pictures below to check their offering!
Boat Tours
Did you know that Berlin has more bridges than Venice?! Thus, it’s not surprising that exploring the Festival of Lights by boat is a great way to see all the beautiful illuminations. Lots of them are directly at the water and thus, you’ll get unparalleled views from a boat!
The two-hour sightseeing cruise costs 25€ on Get Your Guide – or 35€ if you choose a bus + boat combination!
Bike Taxi / Lightcarriage Tours
If you want to do an individual tour, there are options too!
A bike taxi tour is a bit pricier though. Depending on the length of the tour (1-2 hours) you will pay 70-170€ – the company with the illuminated bike taxi is a bit more expensive.
And if you are a group of up to four people, you could also book an electric carriage! The 50 minutes tour costs 110€ per group – making it only slightly more expensive than booking a bus tour for everyone (but shorter)!
Other Lightseeing options
Last but not least, there’s also a Festival of Lights Segway tour available on Get Your Guide. But to be honest, I would be careful with booking this as riding a Segway at night when there are A LOT OF PEOPLE can be stressful.
Magical Festival of Lights Garden
New in 2019 is an additional light event at the “Gardens of the World” in Marzahn (East Berlin). The “Magical Festival of Lights Garden” illuminates these beautifully landscaped gardens.
As the Gardens are not for free, this event is neither: it’s 15€ per person (10€ for children).
Since the cable car does not run later than 5 pm (and the event equally starts at 7 pm), there’s a free shuttle service running from parking lot P3 near the U5 exit “Kienberg – Gärten der Welt”.
It’s a bit outside Berlin but probably worth the visit if you have enough time (we haven’t been there yet though!)
Where to stay during Festival of Lights Berlin
Expect hotel prices to be higher during the Festival of Lights Berlin! And you won’t be surprised when I tell you that the hotel that is closest to the illuminations (or even have some on their own) are the most expensive ones.
On a budget
Berlin has an abundance of cheap hostels and Citystay Hostel Berlin Mitte is directly at Alexanderplatz and got really good reviews on Booking.com Prices should be around 20-25€ per bunk bed.
Midrange hotels
Our top pick for a midrange hotel to experience the Festival of Lights would be the Hotel Nikolai Residence.
This 3-star hotel lies directly inside the iconic Nikolai Quarter next to the Red City Hall on Alexanderplatz. This place feels like being warped into a small village – just right in the middle of Berlin and with views on the TV Tower! Rooms often run lower than 100€ / night.
Another mid-range option would be the Radisson Blu Hotel midway between Alexanderplatz and Berlin Cathedral. It’s especially known for the Aquadome in its lobby (and elevator filled with tons of water and fishes) that actually belongs to SeaLife. The rooms are around 150€/night.
Luxury / Splurge
If money is no concern, then you should definitely either go for the famous Hotel Adlon right on Pariser Platz in front of Brandenburg Gate or for Rocco Forte Hotel de Rome on Bebelplatz.
Both hotels have their own light installations and are major sites themselves. Prices during Festival of Lights can be 300€+ per night though!
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Sarah this is a tremendous guide. Happy to tweet it. Added to my destinations list.
Ryan
Hi Ryan – thanks a lot! I hope this will help you if you plan to visit Berlin during Festival of Lights! Let me know if you need any more help!