Leipzig Festival of Lights

Drei Jugendliche stehen in einer Kunstinstallation mit zahlreichen, alten Lampen. — © Philipp Kirschner/LTM

Leipzig Festival of Lights – The Path of Light

Friday, 9ᵗʰ of October 2026, 7-11 pm

The 2026 Leipzig Festival of Lights takes the form of a Path of Light through Leipzig city centre. Between St Nicholas Church and St Matthew’s Churchyard (Matthäikirchhof), light installations, performances and images from 1989 connect history with the present day. International artists, local project partners and Leipzig school pupils work together to create a European perspective. The candle platform in the shape of the number 89, located by St Thomas Church at the corner of Klostergasse, offers a quiet moment of remembrance as well as an opportunity for dialogue. In this way, a shared space for remembrance and reflection is created.

The Path of Light can be followed in either direction, with no prescribed order. Visitors may choose any starting point. Orange street lights will help guide the way on the evening of the Leipzig Festival of Lights.

The “Explore Leipzig – City Tours” app offers a Leipzig Festival of Lights tour featuring all projects – also available as an audio version (Download for iOS | Download for Android).

With the chants “We are the people” and “No violence”, 70,000 people gathered on 9ᵗʰ of October 1989 to march around Leipzig’s inner-city ring road, demonstrating for freedom and democracy and paving the way for the fall of the Berlin Wall and the unity of Germany and Europe. The dramatic events of autumn 1989 still resonate today.

Every year, the people of Leipzig keep the memory of these events alive in many different ways, with a particular focus on commemorating the 9ᵗʰ of October. The main events on this day are the Prayer for Peace, the Speech on Democracy and the Leipzig Festival of Lights.

Lichtfest Leipzig mit Kerzenpodest zur Feier der Friedlichen Revolution im Herbst 89 in Leipzig — © Philipp Kirschner/LTM

Leipzig residents and visitors to the city come together at the original sites to commemorate the historic events. Exhibitions, panel discussions, film screenings, readings and many other formats attract thousands of visitors of all generations every year. For many years, the “Day of the Peaceful Revolution – Leipzig, 9ᵗʰ of October 1989” initiative has coordinated the numerous commemorative events. Its members include citizens, organisations, institutions, museums and other establishments with a direct connection to the autumn of 1989. The initiative is supported by the City of Leipzig.

The “Peaceful Revolution 1989 Board of Trustees” is responsible for the thematic focus of the celebrations commemorating the Peaceful Revolution and the accompanying programmes. Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH is responsible for the Leipzig Festival of Lights.

Leipzig Festival of Lights

Programme for the Leipzig Festival of Lights 2026