9 Holiday Light Displays Around the World Worth Traveling For
These glittering illuminations make the festive season merry and bright.
There’s no better antidote to long, dark nights than seasonal light displays, larger-than-life Christmas trees, and other glittering attractions. These cities know how to supply the festive cheer with their destination-worthy decorations. From Manhattan’s iconic Rockefeller Center ice rink to Amsterdam’s arty Light Festival, from Colmar’s fairy-tale beauty to Medellín’s enormous light sculptures and installations, here’s where to find the world’s best holiday light displays.
Rockefeller Center
Manhattan, New York City
From skaters wheeling around its ice rink to the soaring Christmas tree that caps off the scenery (and whose annual lighting ceremony after Thanksgiving marks the unofficial start of the festive season), the Rockefeller Center is synonymous with the holidays in the Big Apple — little wonder that it’s starred in Christmas films from Elf to Home Alone 2. Bonus: It’s just steps from Fifth Avenue’s festive window displays, if you wish to continue your seasonal viewing.
Related: How to Spend 3 Days in New York City During the Holidays
Amsterdam Light Festival
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Amsterdam’s arty Light Festival sees the canal-laced city transformed by sculptural displays that go well beyond the typical festive iconography. Artists from around the world contribute works to the annual event, and previous installations have included everything from lit-up laundry lines to glowing butterflies. To get an even closer view, hop aboard a canal boat and discover the perspective from the water’s edge.
Oxford Street
London, England
Oxford Street (and surrounding thoroughfares like Regent Street, Carnaby Street, and Bond Street) are a shopper’s paradise all year round, but they really come alive during the lead-up to Christmas. Enormous, luminous garlands in the shapes of angels, snowflakes, and other seasonal designs cast a brilliant glow over the crowds seeking last-minute presents. Explore on foot or by taxi, bike, or double-decker bus to take in the twinkling spectacle.
Related: How to Spend 3 Days in London During the Holidays
Want more holiday lights? Head to Viator for the full article.
Author: Claire Bullen
Claire Bullen is an award-winning food, drinks, and travel writer and editor who has lived and worked in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Paris, and London. She is the author of The Beer Lover’s Table: Seasonal Recipes and Modern Beer Pairings, and the editor at GoodBeerHunting.com. Her writing has also appeared in Time Out New York, The Daily Meal, Pellicle Magazine, and beyond.
