The 11th Jerusalem Light Festival literally lights up the Old City this summer, with an amazing variety of illuminating art installations created by local and international artists.
These colorful and fun displays bring to life the ancient walls and cobblestone streets of the Old City. They include three-dimensional installations and sound-and-light video presentations that captivate people of all ages. There are different routes to follow through the four Quarters of the Old City to see the various artworks, which allow visitors to explore parts of the city that they may not have visited before.
The free Light Festival attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world and it has become a pilgrimage highlight for millions of Israelis too. There are food stalls and an art fair featuring artworks by light designers, and the entire city throbs with life and light late into the night.
Some of the interactive displays this year will include Paths of Light in Tzahal Square, outside the Old City, and a Circus of Light with fantasy creatures dancing near the Jaffa Gate. The movement theme continues inside the Jaffa Gate, with motion detectors transforming the movements of visitors into mesmerizing light pictures. The walls of the Dormition Abbey will be transformed into light-emitting wallpaper, decorating the front of the monastery with art, architecture and dream imagery. Another highlight (!) is the Keys of Light installation at the Davidson Center, where a giant piano keyboard allows you to generate music and light and create colorful symphonies together.
The Jerusalem Light Festival takes place from June 26 – July 4, 2019, in and around the Old City of Jerusalem. It is free and starts at 8.00pm every night during the week, except Friday night when it is closed for Shabbat, and Saturday night, when it starts at 9.00pm. The lights go out at 11.00pm.
Talk to Shatour about scheduling your next trip to Israel to include the Jerusalem Light Festival and other fabulous arts festivals all over Israel.