Lockdown sucks.

Thankfully, there are a few things that help brighten our days.

The literal highlight (and the best thing about Amsterdam in January) is Amsterdam Light Festival.

This outdoor festival has been around for ten years. This year they’re celebrating their 10^th edition by bringing back some familiar favourites.

The festival took off at the beginning of December, as it traditionally does, lasting until the 23^rd of Jan.

The best way to experience it is by inviting a friend to join you or going on a solo tour with a hot beverage in hand. Besides getting your daily steps in, you’re likely to see unique reflections on the surface of the charming canals.

Light festival installations play off of them with an inimitable charm.

Follow the Light

Because of You Know Who (I don’t mean Voldemort, just tired of saying covid), no maps show you exactly where the installations are.

Yet you can download them from the official website. Artwork descriptions accompany the routes, so you learn more about the stories behind the visuals. Pro tip: the guide is good company on a private boat, too.

Buy the festival’s audio guide to immerse yourself in the experience. Put your headphones in and shut the rest of the world out for a few hours.

Or you can wander around the city hoping to stumble upon a colourful flag with Amsterdam Light Festival written across it. It usually means you’re on the right track, even if you don’t see the lights straight in front of you. Turn a few corners to see if anything catches your attention.

Amsterdam Light Festival Themes

The themes that surround the festival change each year. They mostly have to do with global issues such as sustainability and climate change, as seen in the ‘1.26 Amsterdam’. This artwork tells the story of an earthquake in Chile in 2010, which shortened the day by 1.26 microseconds.

Natural themes abound in installations set right on the water, such as the ‘Pas Encore Mon Histoire’. The meaning can be interpreted in 2 ways, as the phrase translates to ‘it’s not my story yet/it’s still not my story’. The intention of the artist was to allow the natural world to find its home within the sheets of this dreamy four-poster bed.

Thanks to the ‘Butterfly Effect’, you don’t have to go to the zoo to see the animals. The wings of the butterflies gently move with the wind in the middle of the campus of UvA.

A unique part of the day, the blue hour, found its representation in the ‘Minutes in Blue’. This light installation tells the story of our everyday habits and how they tend to go on even as the outside world falls asleep.

It’s not surprising that art is a significant component of the festival. Famous Dutch artists, such as Van Gogh, enlighten the city. ‘Starry Night’ brings out the stars even when the sky is unclear.

See You Next Year!

As January comes to a close, so does Amsterdam Light Festival. It has been a lovely companion throughout these uncertain couple of months. It provided inspiration and awe to locals and tourists alike.

Have you visited this year’s edition of the festival? Which part of it would you like to (re)experience? Let me know in the comments below!