Quick Guide to the Lyon Festival of Lights 2025 – Fête des Lumières (with Map!)

All About the Festival of Lights, Lyon 2025

The Lyon Festival of Lights (Fête des Lumières in French) is a public event that takes place in Lyon in winter. During this beloved four-day Fête des Lumières, Lyon is lit up by artistic installations that make its architectural treasures even more astonishing.

Lyon’s Festival of Lights is celebrated around 8 December for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. For the Lyon Festival of Lights 2025 dates, head here.

Here’s a quick guide to the Festival of Lights in Lyon – one of France’s top winter events – including what to expect and how to plan a perfect, festive weekend in Lyon to see the show.

Table of Contents:

• Lyon Fête des Lumières – History
• Lyon Light Festival Today
• Lyon Festival of Lights 2025 Dates and Hours
• Lighted Sites during the Festival of Lights, Lyon
• Lyon Festival of Lights 2025 Map
• How to Get to Lyon
• Where to Sleep During the Festival of Lights in Lyon

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Lyon Fête des Lumières – History

The origins of Lyon’s Festival of Lights date back to 1852, when the inauguration of a golden statue of the Virgin Mary was planned for September. After flooding along the Saône riverbanks, the ceremony was postponed to 8 December. That evening, heavy rain again threatened the town’s planned illuminations – until the skies suddenly cleared. In a spontaneous gesture, locals placed candles and lanterns on their window sills to celebrate.

Lyon Light Festival Today

Today, the Lyon Festival of Lights is one of France’s most important winter festivals, a most-awaited event in the Auvergne-Rhône Alpes region. Things have changed a lot since the first Festival in 1989, when there were just a couple of lit monuments!

Nowadays, the Festival offers scenographies and light shows by renowned national and international artists from every corner of the city. Some light installations are still traditional, while others are innovative and surprising.

Due to the Festival’s popularity, the city municipality implemented a “lighting plan” to illuminate the facades of Lyon’s main monuments all year round, although the spectacle you will see during the Festival of Lights is on an entirely different level!

The Procession

Because of the religious origins of the event, the procession of the Virgin Mary from Saint-Jean Cathedral up to the Basilica of Fourbière is always one of the main highlights of the Festival. The procession takes place on 8 December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and it starts with a Catholic mass in Saint-Jean Cathedral.

When the sun sets, it’s deeply moving to see locals and visitors gather in and around Saint-Jean Cathedral to pray to the Virgin, each holding a lumignon – a small lantern – as they follow her up the hill. The Square Saint-Jean is always filled with people, yet despite the crowds, the moment feels remarkably intimate.

On the streets of Old Lyon, people continue to place lumignons on window sills and balconies, creating a truly magical atmosphere. The procession concludes at the Basilica of Fourvière with further prayers.

A Festive Atmosphere Everywhere

The Lyon – Fête des Lumières attracts several million visitors every year, half of Lyon’s yearly visitors! The festive atmosphere is everywhere in Lyon, thanks to groups of students and associations offering mulled wine, crêpes, and other quick eats for a few euros. There are some small music bands and other animations, too.

During the four-day event, locals and tourists alike spend their evenings wandering around and admiring the lighting shows, as well as drinking, eating, and meeting new people.

Must-See Illuminated Sites during the Festival of Lights Lyon 2025

Visit the Old Town, with its traboules, the Cathedral, and the Croix-Rousse neighborhood during the day (here’s the list of my favorite things to do in Lyon). If the weather is good, take a Lyon guided bike tour to warm up.

Enjoy Lyon’s traditional cuisine in one of the many bouchons in the city. Then, when the sun sets, get ready for some memorable nights exploring Lyon’s illuminated monuments in a festive atmosphere.

Amongst the many lighting animations around the city, here are the must-see places of Lyon’s Festival of Lights.

NOTE: The pictures are always from previous editions.

Do you want to visit the illuminated sites without the crowds?

During the previous days of the Festival, there are always light tests on some of the sites. The exact times are unknown (but there are always rumors), so they are always pleasant surprises during your night wanderings.

This picture was taken at Place des Jacobins on the way to my hotel, one or two days before the inauguration. There was almost no one!

12. Place des Terreaux 

Place des Terreaux is located in Lyon’s 1st Arrondissement. A square with an exceptional layout, Place des Terreaux is lined with two of Lyon’s most emblematic monuments, the Hôtel de Ville (the City Hall) and the Musée des Beaux-Arts. The square also houses the stunning Bartholdi Fountain, made by the creator of New York’s Statue of Liberty.

The show at Place des Terreaux usually kicks off the Festival of Lights, so if you can make it for the very first projection like I did, it’s something special! There’s even a countdown.

During the shows, Place des Terreaux becomes completely packed, and pedestrian circulation in the surrounding streets is restricted or limited to one-way flow. Spectators enter the square from one side and exit from the opposite side. The police allow a new group to enter only once the square has fully cleared.

Illuminations 2025: Le Lundi, C’est Raviolis! by Tigrelab

2. Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste

Saint-Jean Baptiste Cathedral lies in the heart of Lyon’s Old Town in the 5th Arrondissement. Lyon’s Cathedral was built between the 12th and 15th centuries. With a splendid blend of Gothic and Romanesque architecture, the Saint-Jean Cathedral has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.

The Cathedral is well worth a visit, with its original stained-glass windows and giant 9-meter-tall clock from the 1300s. It is also the departing point of the procession on 8 December.

Shows at the Cathedral are very popular, and the lines to access the square are very long. People enter through one of the sides of the square and leave through the opposite side. Only when the square is empty does the police open the way to another group of spectators.

Illuminations 2025: Lumina by László Zsolt Bordos. The Cathedral’s façade comes to life and awakens our emotions.

3. Banks of the Saône River

The Banks of the Saône River lie to the west of Lyon’s Old Town. The riverbanks have been turned into a pedestrian promenade from where it is possible to admire the elegant façades of the houses of the Old Town. The area is perfect for a relaxing walk in nature and for other activities such as rowing and fishing.

Make sure to spend some time on the banks of the Saône River to experience the tranquil side of Lyon.

Because of the long façades facing the river, there are always beautiful light shows along the Saône. Here, there’s also a place to buy drinks and quick eats (hot dogs, French fries, tartiflette,…) that you can eat while admiring the show.

Illuminations 2025: Les Malles Persannes by Thierry Pierras. This large-scale projection will display an Arabian tale told in instalments as trunks open to reveal their mystical contents.

16 to 19. Parc de la Tête d’Or

This urban park is located in the 6th Arrondissement. The Parc de la Tête d’Or was inaugurated in 1857, and it is among France’s largest urban parks thanks to its 117 hectares. Landscaped by the Bühler brothers, the Parc de la Tête d’Or features a lake fed by a branch of the Rhône, a zoo, and a botanical garden.

During the day, stop by to admire more than 20,000 plant varieties and have fun with the whole family at the zoo. You can also warm up by pedal-boating in the lake. At night, this is one of the most magical places of Lyon’s Festival of Lights.

Illuminations 2025: Post Idols (Pitaya); Journey of a Lamp Post (Pitaya); Éveil des Lumières (Allumée); Déambulez avec le Chat (Philippe Geluck).

Please note that the Park’s entrance will close 30 minutes before the end of the soirée.

TIP: My recommendation is that you visit these installations on a separate evening, as it is very difficult to move from the Old Town or the Presqu’Ile to the Parc de la Tête d’Or.

21. Fourvière Hill & Basilica

Fourvière is Lyon’s 5th Arrondissement, dominated by the namesake hill with the Basilica perched on its top. The Fourbière Hill was a strategic location, so much so that the Romans settled there. The Basilica of Notre Dame de Fourvière was built in the 19th century and was an important pilgrimage site.

Because of the origins of the Fête des Lumières, Lyon’s Basilica in Fourvière is one of the key sites of the Festival. Visit the Basilica inside to admire its magnificent decor and the Museum of Sacred Art. Then, ascend to the north tower to marvel at the city from above.

Illuminations 2025: La Région des Lumières à Fourvière (Gilbert Coudène et Étienne Guiol). The illuminations will highlight the Basilica’s main features in resonance with its history.

Place Bellecour

Place Bellecour is located in Lyon’s 2nd Arrondissement. This beautiful square in the center of Lyon is Europe’s largest pedestrian square. Place Bellecour features the bronze equestrian statue of King Louis XIV, and it is the access point to Lyon’s shopping arrondissement.

You should visit Place Bellecour as it is one of the city’s main symbols, and it hosts events and attractions throughout the year, like an ice skating rink in wintertime. Because of its size, Place Bellecour is one of the key sites of the Lyon – Fête des Lumières, and the illuminations around King Louis XIV’s statue are always spectacular!

In this square, there are also places to eat and drink, so there’s always a lively atmosphere.

Illuminations 2025: There’s nothing planned here this year.

Banks of the Rhône River

The Banks of the Rhône River lie east of Lyon’s Old Town. Similarly to the Saône River, the banks of the Rhône River have a promenade with pedestrian and bike paths. The area was completely revamped in 2007 and now boasts shady lawns and a children’s playground.

Visit the Banks of the Rhône River to enjoy a relaxing riverside walk or bike ride alongside the locals.

Illuminations 2025: There’s nothing planned here this year.

Place & Théâtre des Celestins

Place and Théâtre des Célestins are located in the 2nd Arrondissement of the city. The Place des Célestins is one of Lyon’s many squares, where once stood the Célestins Convent. The Convent was converted into a theater in the late 18th century, but was destroyed a century later by a fire. Rebuilt in the Italian style, the Théâtre des Célestins is still used today.

Visit this square to discover one of the many architectural beauties of Lyon, alongside one of the oldest theaters in France.

Illuminations 2025: There’s nothing planned here this year.

Place & Temple du Change

The Place and Temple du Change are in Lyon’s 5th Arrondissement. One of the most beautiful squares in Lyon’s Old Town, the Place du Change, was the center of the city’s financial district for the presence of the Temple du Change, the stock exchange building. In 1803, the Temple du Change stopped having an economic role to become a Protestant church.

Paying a visit to the Place and the Temple du Change will make you discover more UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Lyon.

Illuminations 2025: There’s nothing planned here this year.

How to Get to Lyon

The best way to travel to Lyon is by train, as Lyon is well connected by TGV trains with the main cities in France. Lyon’s main train stations are Gare Lyon Part-Dieu and Gare Lyon Perrache – Find the latest deals on train tickets

For all the ways to travel to Lyon, check out this article on how to get to Lyon from Paris, France, and abroad.

Where to Sleep During the Festival of Lights in Lyon

Given the popularity of the Festival of Lights, Lyon becomes a coveted destination during the dates of the event. Therefore, booking your accommodation well in advance is key, as the best hotels sell out very fast. If possible, try to book everything as early as August!

When it comes to accommodation in Lyon, there are many options you can choose from, but I suggest staying in the center so that you will be close to the main illuminated sites and can go everywhere on foot.

And there you have it, all about the Fête des Lumières – Lyon Light Festival and how to get the most out of these magical days in Lyon. Enjoy!

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