Festival of Lights (Fête des Lumières)
The illuminations of December 8, 2026
Every year on December 8, the people of Lyon light small candles placed in their windows, originally as a tribute to the Virgin Mary. These illuminations are a tradition deeply rooted in the life of the city and attract tens of thousands of visitors each year. Lyon then fills with an enormous crowd of musicians, singers and other artists, who put on an unforgettable street show.
The tradition was born more than a century and a half ago, on December 8, 1852. Having been spared the devastation of the plague, the people of Lyon decided to thank the Virgin Mary by erecting a statue on the Chapel of Fourvière. This important moment for the city's faithful was postponed due to flooding of the Saône.
It was originally meant to take place on September 8, the feast day of the Nativity of the Virgin and the anniversary of the aldermen's vow of 1643. On the evening of December 8, as the celebration was being prepared, as the statue's lighting was planned using Bengal fires, and as Lyon's Catholic notables proposed illuminating the facades of their houses as is done for major events, a storm broke over Lyon and once again threatened the ceremony.
The clergy decided to postpone the celebration once again. However, that evening, as the rain stopped falling, windows belonging to unknown faithful began to light up. In an instant, the city went from darkness to light. In the street, city dwellers went from shop to shop to buy candles. There was not a single window without illuminations.
The statue of the Virgin was thus illuminated by the Bengal fires and the sound of the bell of Saint Jean rang out across the city. The entire population found itself in the streets, singing its joy and enthusiasm. This custom has been preserved to this day.
The illuminations thus became an institution. Only the dark years of the three wars interrupted these festivities.
Today, with its international renown, the city of Lyon organises a festival of lights using the most modern techniques to illuminate the main buildings of the metropolitan area. December 8 remains the highlight of this celebration, where shop windows compete in beauty, where lanterns rise towards Fourvière, and where the people of Lyon rediscover their city with a new, fleeting face.
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