{"id":3355,"date":"2019-11-11T00:00:01","date_gmt":"2019-11-11T00:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tiqets-blog-staging.local\/amsterdam-light-festival\/"},"modified":"2025-08-22T11:01:21","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T11:01:21","slug":"amsterdam-light-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/amsterdam-light-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Amsterdam Light Festival: A Go-to Guide","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>\u2013<\/em>\u00a0<em>This post was written by\u00a0<strong>Callum Tyler<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<em>\u2013<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Winter has descended upon Amsterdam, along with an unhealthy amount of rain and a severe lack of vitamin D \u2013 and yet the city is brighter than ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/amsterdam-c75061\/amsterdam-light-festival-cruises-l146145?utm_source=tiqetsblog&amp;utm_medium=free_other_free&amp;utm_campaign=ALF2019\">Amsterdam Light Festival (ALF)<\/a> is back for its eighth year and there are new artists, new installations, and a new theme. There\u2019s more to this wintertime spectacular than a few flashing bulbs, though. Every year Amsterdam becomes the playground for international artists showing off conceptual work that would feel just as at home in any modern art museum as it would in Amsterdam\u2019s famous canal ring.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div data-tiqets-widget=\"availability\" data-layout=\"full\" data-venue-id=\"146145\" data-partner=\"tiqetsblog\" data-tq-campaign=\"LightFestival22-23\"><\/div><script defer src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/canal-1.jpg?fit=819%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"A light installation that resembles Van Gogh's Starry Night hangs above a bridge in Amsterdam's canal ring. \" class=\"wp-image-11404\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> Going by the names of this year&#8217;s works, it doesn&#8217;t look like we&#8217;ll be getting any Van Gogh-inspired light installations <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"make-the-most-of-the-lights-with-a-canal-cruise\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make the most of the lights with a canal cruise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you arrive in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/the-best-things-to-do-in-amsterdam-this-christmas\/\">Amsterdam during winte<\/a>r, a canal cruise might be at the bottom of your to-do list, but it\u2019s time to reconsider. The best place to see the lights is from the water, and you\u2019re going to stay a whole lot warmer on a boat than you will on foot.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of Amsterdam\u2019s major canal cruise companies are offering deals, but we\u2019ve listed some of our favorites below.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"choose-your-starting-point\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Choose your starting point<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With heating onboard as well as gl\u00fchwein (<em>mulled wine<\/em>) \u2013 not to mention a roof to keep the rain out \u2013 you\u2019ll stay toasty and enjoy a unique view of the lights.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/loversALF.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Boats from Lovers Canal Cruises navigate an Amsterdam canal during the Amsterdam Light Festival.\" class=\"wp-image-11421\" style=\"width:1000px;height:637px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether you\u2019re departing from <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/amsterdam-c75061\/amsterdam-light-festival-from-central-station-early-bird-p973884?utm_source=tiqetsblog&amp;utm_medium=free_other_free&amp;utm_campaign=ALF2019\" target=\"_blank\">Centraal Station<\/a> (perfect for those visiting the city to see ALF) or nightlife hotspot <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/amsterdam-c75061\/amsterdam-light-festival-from-leidseplein-early-bird-p975123&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=ALF2019\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Leidseplein<\/a>, you\u2019ll never have to wait more than a few minutes to hop on a dedicated cruise ship, most boats run Monday to Friday between 17:00 and 22:00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"get-snap-happy-on-an-opentop-cruise\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/amsterdam-c75061\/amsterdam-light-festival-open-top-boat-early-bird-p975124?utm_source=tiqetsblog&amp;utm_medium=free_other_free&amp;utm_campaign=ALF2019\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Get snap happy on an open-top cruise<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re looking for the best photo possible and are willing to brace the chill, this cruise is right up your canal. Take shots of dreamlike sculptures with nothing to obstruct your lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"make-it-a-historic-moment\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/amsterdam-c75061\/amsterdam-light-festival-historic-boat-experience-p975197?utm_source=tiqetsblog&amp;utm_medium=free_other_free&amp;utm_campaign=ALF2019\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Make it a historic moment<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re looking for something cozy, go for the Historic Boat experience and enjoy a perfectly intimate experience with gl\u00fchwein on board the Avanti or the Delphine. This intimate cruising experience lets you relax inside the cabin while the lights dance on the water.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/delphine.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"A small canopied boat, floats along a canal in Amsterdam while canal houses are lit up in the background..\" class=\"wp-image-11423\" style=\"width:1000px;height:637px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"turn-the-light-on-disruptnbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Turn the light on <em>Disrupt!<\/em> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year\u2019s theme is all about disruption, and twenty artists and collectives from around the globe have each interpreted what that means to them. Creators have submitted concepts from across the world \u2013 from the Netherlands to Singapore and Taiwan \u2013 and found ways to incorporate Amsterdam\u2019s historic canals and storied history into their work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But, what exactly does <em>Disrupt!<\/em> mean? The art on display itself can be a disruption, in fact, a number of pieces stationed throughout the city throw new light (literally) onto old buildings to highlight their history. With reminders of the wars, riots, occupation, and redevelopments that have taken place in Amsterdam, a new perspective is forced on you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On a social level, disruption can change mankind for the better. From the suffragettes to the civil rights movement, the 20th century has fundamentally altered the course of human history and while \u2013&nbsp; at the time \u2013 change is jarring, it can lead to an improved world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One theme this year\u2019s artists continued to return to was climate change and how disruption can make or break our society. Expect to see the canals utilised in displays that don\u2019t shy away from our rising sea levels \u2013 <em>Surface Tension<\/em> by Tom Biddulph &amp; Barbara Ryan being the prime example. Other concepts flip the coin and look at how we\u2019ve managed nature\u2019s natural disruptions, from ice and storms to plants and animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"meet-the-amsterdam-light-festival-artists\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Meet the Amsterdam Light Festival artists<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 20 artists participating in the 2019\/2020 Amsterdam Light Festival have each put their own spin on <em>Disrupt!, <\/em>but their credentials go beyond one of Holland\u2019s main events. The list is made up of artists architects and even a film director.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The growing movement of light art is perhaps summed up best by one of the artists, Lucy McDonnell:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amsterdamlightfestival.com\/en\/in-depth\/lucy-mcdonnell-studio-vertigo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">&#8220;The universality of light makes it interesting as a medium. And the medium is still in development, which offers exciting new opportunities for artists.&#8221;<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"installations-by-international-artists\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Installations by international artists<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Remind Euljiro Freedom<\/em> by EON SLD (Be Warm) is a lighting design studio from Seoul. EON SLD\u2019s lead designer, Mee Jeong, is the main curator for Seoul light festival Euljiro Lightway.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Big Bang <\/em>by UxU Studio is a Taiwanese collective \u2013 Kuan-Hung Chen and Ying-Chu Chen \u2013 that consists of architects, designers and artists,<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" last year they featured their work Desire  (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/amsterdamlightfestival.com\/en\/artworks\/desire\" target=\"_blank\"> last year they featured their work <\/a><em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" last year they featured their work Desire  (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/amsterdamlightfestival.com\/en\/artworks\/desire\" target=\"_blank\">Desire <\/a><\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Feel Like the Kardashians <\/em>by Singaporean artist Laila Azra. Azra usually works on a canvas, but has begun branching out 3D installations, which she\u2019ll be showcasing at this year\u2019s ALF.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>All the Light You See <\/em>by American interdisciplinary artist Alicia Eggert from Texas is back again after its success last year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Butterfly Effect <\/em>by Japanese light artist, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/shimayan0729\/\" target=\"_blank\">Masamichi Shimada<\/a>, who creates light installations with materials like wood, metal, paper, and plastic.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Neighborhood <\/em>by Sergey Kim, a New York artist who also makes<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/velooq.bike\/\" target=\"_blank\"> luminous bike tyres<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Nothing Holding Us <\/em>by Seattle-based Ben Zamora, who creates light installations and sculptures for museums, theatre and festivals.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"installations-by-european-artistsnbsp\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Installations by European artists <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Hiding in the Wolf\u2019s Lair <\/em>by Republic of Amsterdam Radio and Nomad Tinker House, a Dutch storytelling combines a love of history with creative design for their first ALF light artwork.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Nacht Tekening <\/em>by Krijn de Koning, Dutch artist.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Icebreaker <\/em>by <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/B3tpOQkH-Ba\/\" target=\"_blank\">Wilhelmusvlug<\/a>, Amsterdam based designer and multimedia artist who has particpated in the ALF <a href=\"https:\/\/amsterdamlightfestival.com\/en\/artworks\/hourglass\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">three t<\/a><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"i (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/amsterdamlightfestival.com\/en\/artworks\/hourglass\" target=\"_blank\">i<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/amsterdamlightfestival.com\/en\/artworks\/hourglass\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mes before<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Order\/Disorder <\/em>by LAMBERT KAMPS <em>Touch of Time <\/em>featured in last year\u2019s ALF and he\u2019s back with a new design this year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Nobody <\/em>by Gabriel Lester, a Dutch artist who crosses the lines of every form of art be it prose, sculpture or film.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Ad. Empty Domination<\/em> by Dutch collective Maria Watjer, Wies Brand and Jasmijn Pielkenrood study at the Breitner Academy in Amsterdam.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Atlantis <\/em>by <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/utskottet\/\" target=\"_blank\">Utskottet<\/a>, a collective from Sweden, made up of Olof Wiese and Edvin Buregren.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>The Cracks <\/em>by Polish\/French architect, artist and polyglot Karolina Katarzyna Howorko.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>End Over End <\/em>by Studio Vertigo made up of UK light artists, Lucy McDonnell and Stephen Newby are back <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/amsterdamlightfestival.com\/en\/artworks\/infinity\" target=\"_blank\">after featuring in ALF #4<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Between the Lines <\/em>by Har Hollands is no stranger to light festivals, the Eindhoven based architect was the curator of GLOW light festival in Eindhoven from 2010 to 2015.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Surface Tension<\/em> by Tom Biddulph and Barbara Ryan, met in London and now working in Amsterdam, are back for their second collaboration at ALF. Last year (ALF #7) they showcased edition #7 they created the light sculpture <em>Night Vision<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>De Nachtloerrrders (Night Voyeurs) <\/em>by Amsterdam based advertising agency, 72andSunny, are showing off their first installation this year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Ice Is Melting At The P\u00f8ules by Martin Ersted is a Danish light artist who\u2019s had work featured light festivals in Denmark and Iceland.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"wondering-how-to-spend-christmas-europe-is-full-of-incredible-christmas-markets-with-treats-waiting-to-be-discovered\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wondering how to spend Christmas?<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/the-best-christmas-markets-in-europe-and-what-to-eat-when-you-go\/\"> Europe is full of incredible Christmas markets<\/a> with treats waiting to be discovered.\n\n<\/h3>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Amsterdam Light Festival is one of the world&#8217;s most accurately named festivals \u2013 it\u2019s a festival of lights, and it\u2019s in Amsterdam.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":24,"featured_media":19800,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[26,28,27],"class_list":["post-3355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-amsterdam","tag-amsterdam","tag-europe","tag-the-netherlands"],"acf":[],"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"link","format":"url"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3355"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3355\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19799,"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3355\/revisions\/19799"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}