About Festival of Lights
The Festival of Lights turns Berlin's landmarks into canvases for light art and video mapping every autumn. Admission to most illuminated sites is free, and the event draws large crowds into Mitte in the evenings.
When and where the lights are on
The Festival of Lights usually runs for about ten days in October. The projections are switched on every evening from around 7 pm until about 11 pm. Typical locations are the Brandenburg Gate, Bebelplatz with projections on three sides, the Berliner Dom near Museum Island and the installations around Potsdamer Platz. Recent editions have also added ticketed light shows at the Olympiastadion. The full map is published each year on the festival's website.
Landing in the late afternoon: the ideal timing
If you land between about 3 and 5 pm, there is time to reach the hotel, drop the bags and be on Unter den Linden when the lights come on. Allow 35–50 minutes from BER to Mitte, longer on weekday evenings when commuter traffic and festival visitors meet. October is also the autumn school holiday season in several German states, so the arrivals halls and the terminal taxi rank can be busy. A pre-booked driver waits for you inside with your flight number.
Which hotel area makes the evening easiest?
Most illuminated buildings lie along one axis from the Brandenburg Gate via Unter den Linden to the Dom and Alexanderplatz. A hotel in Mitte lets you walk the whole route and skip any car or train in the evening. Options are listed on hotels in Mitte & Gendarmenmarkt. Staying near Potsdamer Platz works just as well, with the Brandenburg Gate a short walk away.
Where the car can stop in festival week
Around Bebelplatz, the Brandenburg Gate and the Dom, crowds gather on the pavements and in some evenings on the road itself. Police may close single streets for a short time. Ask your driver to stop a block away, for example on a side street off Friedrichstraße, and walk from there. Coaches with tour groups also use the area, so stopping right at the square is rarely possible.
A few tips for the evening
- Bring a warm layer: October evenings in Berlin can be chilly and damp.
- The busiest hours are between about 8 and 10 pm, especially on weekends.
- Shows at the Dom or the Olympiastadion may need tickets; check before you travel.
- If your hotel is outside the centre, the U-Bahn is quicker than a car on illuminated evenings.
Leaving Berlin after the festival
The last festival weekend brings many departures. Book the ride from the hotel to the airport in advance via Berlin to BER; the price for the car is set when you book, regardless of how slow the morning traffic is.
To reach outlying sites such as the Olympiastadion in the evening, take the S-Bahn or a taxi from the nearest rank; by car it is about 20–30 minutes from the Brandenburg Gate.
