Tampere Festival of Light is an annual festival celebrating the darkest season of the year. During the festival, Tampere city centre is illuminated with a collection of light art and projections. The lights enchant throughout the long and dark autumn and winter season – from late October until early January.

In the early 60’s the Mayor of Tampere Erkki Lindfors visited the Essen Light and fell in love with the atmosphere the festival created. The first Tampere Festival of Light took place in fall 1966 and it lasted for three weeks. Most of the light figures for the first Tampere Festival of Light were brought over from Essen.

Today, the festival opens with a public ceremony featuring speeches, musical performances, and the Dancing Fountains show – a light and water spectacle that has become a beloved tradition over the past five years.

Throughout the city centre, decorative lights illuminate the streets: light chandeliers, fairy lights, and tree illuminations. The park between the Stable yards and Museum Milavida is illuminated by nostalgic seasonal lights and the magical Christmas tree park with its fountains and forest animals. For, the façades of Central square feature adorable Moomin-themed lights.

One of the festival’s highlights is the Light Gallery, an annual exhibition by the Tampere Art Museum. In 2025, it features 15 light artworks based on Tove Jansson’s original 1945 illustrations from The Moomins and the Great Flood, projected onto walls in western downtown Tampere. The exhibition celebrates the 80th anniversary of Jansson’s first Moomin story.

Dates of the previous/upcoming edition: 24 October 2025 – 28 February 2026