The Ghent Light Festival is a festival that occurs once every three years. It is a showcase for light artwork installations by Belgian and international artists. Think of spectacles with light projection, but also complete shows with light installations. Ghent’s light festival is the largest in Belgium and it’s free to visit. In 2021, the Ghent light festival attracted more than 800,000 visitors.
GHENT LIGHT FESTIVAL 2024: DATES AND ROUTE
This year, Ghent’s light festival will run from Wednesday 31 January until Sunday February 4, 2024.
The walking route is 7,2 kilometers long and takes you along the historical city center, the “Sleepstraat”, the “Oude Dokken” and the “Dampoort”. The route is meant to be walked clockwise, but you can jump in at any point.
LIGHT FESTIVAL GHENT 2024: LOCAL ARTISTS AND INNOVATIVE AI INSTALLATIONS
You will get the chance to admire 32 art light installations along the route. This year, the festival has once again cooperated with local, national and international artists as well as our local schools and neighborhoods. Half of the artists have a connection to Ghent. Check out in particular the installation of atelier Mestdagh, a producer of stained glass windows. It’s located by the “Stadshal”, 450 meters from Hotel Flandria.
This year, many of the artworks involve technological feats such as AI innovations, Augmented Reality and drone art. Visitors will also get the chance to send Morse code messages into space on the Sint-Jacobs markt, at 500 m from Flandria hotel.
PARKING DURING GHENT LIGHT FESTIVAL 2024
The city Ghent enforces rather draconian traffic restrictions during the festival, to ensure the safety of the festivalgoers. Here is what you need to know:
The festival route, the area inside it and the area around it are traffic free (
see map here). This means you are not allowed to drive your car or your bicycle there. Luckily,
Flandria Hotel sits just outside of this area, as does the P2 Reep underground parking and the P3 Zuid underground parking.
If you are driving into Ghent during the festival, we recommend you enter the city via the R40, and not the “Dampoort”, since the “Dampoort” area is also included in the festival area.
You will find more information about the festival and viability
here.
You can get the walking map of the Ghent Light Festival 2024 at our reception. Feel free to ask us any questions; we are happy to help you!
If you want to enjoy this gorgeous festival but you didn’t book a room in Ghent yet, check our availability
here, we still have some rooms available at a very special price!
WHEN?
31.01.2024 – 04.02.2024
The festival starts every day at 19:00 and ends at midnight. On Sunday, the festival starts at 18:00.
WHERE?
Along a walking route (7.2 km) in the historic city center, the “Sleepstraat”, the “Oude Dokken” and “Dampoort” (you can ask a free map at our reception desk).
HOW MUCH?
Completely free.
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