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FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED FESTIVAL HERE You are bound to pass by an illuminated building while walking through the streets of Lyon from December 7 to 10, thanks to

the city’s free Festival of Lights. Starting with a simple candle placed on a windowsill in 1852, the _Fêtes des Lumières_ has grown into a four-night-long extravagance of light. This year,

the festival promises a spectacular display merging art, technology, and history, which is expected to attract two million spectators, particularly around certain displays. This free

festival showcases the work of both renowned artists and emerging talents, turning the city into an open-air gallery. From the grandeur of _Place des Terreaux_ to the intimate corners of

_Vieux Lyon_, each piece of art tells a story, inviting onlookers into a world of fantasy and creation. For the best experience, visitors are advised to start their journey at _Place

Bellecour_, working their way through the city’s various districts. [embedded content] THE FESTIVAL’S HISTORY In 1852, against a backdrop of social unrest and recurring floods, the decision

was taken to erect a statue of the Virgin Mary in Fourvière. The statue’s inauguration was initially scheduled for 8 September 1852. However it was postponed due to the Saône bursting its

banks and flooding into the studio of the sculptor Fabisch, who designed the work. The inauguration was then postponed to December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, but again had to

be cancelled due to bad weather. Luckily, as night fell the weather improved. To thank God for this sign, the people of Lyon decided to place a small candle on their windowsills. This

became a tradition, and the people of Lyon have been repeating the gesture on the same date for more than 170 years. From a religious celebration, the event has turned into a popular

festival, with hundreds of thousands of people strolling through the streets to admire the luminous displays of colour projected on the facades and monuments. A NOCTURNAL LANDSCAPE In 1989,

then-mayor of Lyon, Michel Noir and his deputy in charge of urban planning, Henry Chabert, launched the _Lumière Plan_ – a public lighting policy with the aim of creating a nocturnal

landscape. Designed by Lyon's public lighting department, this plan – the first in France – illuminated 300 architectural buildings in the city centre, transforming the dark city into a

belle-de-nuit. The Festival of Lights that we know today, which takes place over a four day period, is the creation of Raymond Barre, mayor of Lyon in 1999. The second Lumière Plan, put in

place in 2004, opened up the celebrations to other parts of the city creating "luminous atmospheres", specific to each location. READ ALSO MUSICAL FESTIVALS IN FRANCE IN 2024: WHO

IS PLAYING AND WHEN FREE LIGHT SHOW DELIGHTS EVERY NIGHT AT AMIENS CATHEDRAL FRANCE AND THE US TO HOST MAJOR IMPRESSIONIST ART TOUR