Copenhagen Light Festival returns - even bigger

More than 67 light installations is being presented this year by Copenhagen Light Festival. The light installations will  shine through the winter break month until the 26th of February. 13 will even continue after the festival.

This year lightworks are placed new places, inorder to discover the city in a new way - again.

White Beams - shoots out over 10 city districts.
The installation was inaugurated at the opening for Arkitektur Hovedstad 2023.

Grand opening - welcome press

Friday, February 3rd, a grand opening will take place at Skuespilhuset.

17.00: Opening, including speeches to the VIP’s that have contributed to the festival.
Camilla van Deurs, City Architect Copenhagen and Jesper Kongshaug,Head of Board Copenhagen Light Festival.

18.30: Guided tour along the canals courtesy of Stromma Canal Tours, beer-themed tours, or personal inauguration of a light installation created by Disneyland Paris at Broens Gadekøkken.

20.00: World premiere concert in Holmens Kirke with Mogens Dahl’s Chamber Choir. Order ticket here

Guided tours

Guided tours have been popular in the festival’s previous incarnations. This year you can book guided tours with special themes, such as beer, wine, dancing, and tours along Copenhagen’s canals. The mobile app also makes it easy to explore the festival in your own way.

Sign up here

Mogens Dahl provides the musical setting for the light features in Holmens Kirke

Guided tours are available along the canals. 

Experience Copenhagen Light Festival in groups

It is impossible to experience all of Copenhagen Light Festival in a single night. Installations are placed along the harbor and in the city center, but wonderful installations are also to be found in and around locations such as Refshaleøen and Ørestad, DR Byen, and all the way out toward Fields shopping center. And not just that: beautiful installations are set up at Vestre Kirkegård and in Remiseparken, in collaboration with the authorities in charge of renovating these areas. 

In this way, Copenhagen Light Festival attempts to include areas of Copenhagen beyond the central locations.

- Download interactive app for mobile -
“Within 10 Minutes - Copenhagen Light Festival”

Map-in-app features light-themed treasure hunt and prizes at special beverage stands

The map-in-app features shows where all the installations are located relative to your position. Use the app to go on a light-themed treasure hunt, finding all 25 installations, and winning a delicious coffee or beer in one of our special, festival-themed beverage stands, found at Højbro Plads and at two separate locations on Havnegade. The app also features audio explanations of all the installations, in English as well as Danish.

In the city center as well as in the other areas, you will find routes between 2 and 9 kms in length, which you will be able to walk, run, or cycle along. The light-themed running event, DAC Arkitekturløb, will be held on the 17th of February. Participate in order to make this Denmark’s potentially largest light-themed running event!

Sign up here

Jesper Kongshaug, Curator and Head of the festival’s Board of Directors the last 4 years:

“The entire staff and board behind Copenhagen Light Festival hope that many Danes and foreigners once again will visit Copenhagen during the winter holiday and spend a couple of days seeing all the installations. We strive to meet everyone’s expectations by reaching a high artistic level and making the installations relevant to guests of all ages. We also hope the festival will cause Copenhagen’s buildings to be shown on news programmes all over the world again.”

Guided tours, light-themed treasures hunts and a photo-competition have this year been included in an expanded version of Copenhagen Light Festival,
which runs from February 3-26.

“Waves” - this installation stands along the harbor; the installation “Mandaleg” is placed in Remiseparken (picture shows the work-in-progress).

The installations are divided into groups: curated installations; installations made by students of light-design; pop-up events; and additional, non-curated events, that nevertheless make the city a more beautiful place for light.

Facts about Copenhagen Light Festival 2023

• This is the 6th time the festival is being held; the 4th time after being taken over by the current organization behind it. 
• In 2021, the festival attracted 500.000 visitors, which makes it the most visited festival in Denmark.
• The festival features more than 35 installations, pop-up events, and theme-events.
• The installations are concentrated in the city enter, but the outsides of the city are also involved, in places such as Bavnehøj, Sundby, Refshaleøen and Ørestad.
• Walking, cycling and running routes have been developed that lead you straight to the installations. These vary in length, from 2,5 km-9 km.
• Our app, which was downloaded 50.000 times last year, features light-themed treasure hunts with various prizes. 

Sustainability:

• Maps are not printed, but our mobile app shows where all the installations are placed relative to your own location.
• Maps can also be printed via our homepage, and are visible also on the all the pylons set up around the city.

Follow the festival on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn, as well as on Twitter and the following homepage: copenhagenlightfestival.org

”WHITE BEAMS” OPENED JANUARY 17th. from the City Hall tower.
The installation is developed by Copenhagen Light Festival and UNESCO World Capital of Architecture 2023, reaching out to the 10 districts of Copenhagen municipality. It is performed in collaboration with the artists collective Båll & Brand.

Copenhagen Light Festival – bigger than ever

Copenhagen Light Festival will present over 35 installations. The installations will primarily be set up along the harbor in the city, but also in the areas Bavnehøj, Refshaleøen and Ørestaden.

Book a guided tour
A map overview of the festival’s installations will be available on the mobile-app, as well as on the festival’s website and posters. Planned routes of 2, 5, and 10 km’s length, to walk or cycle, will guide you through the festival.

Moreover, special guided tours can be booked via Canal Tours by Strømma – see and order here…

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