Uppsala's light festival turns the city into a night-time gallery
The annual light festival returns to Uppsala with luminous art installations across the city centre, inviting visitors into interactive public spaces and evening lectures open to all.
Illustrative image, not taken at the event.
The Uppsala Light Festival, known locally as Allt ljus på Uppsala, returns to the city from 6 to 22 November 2026, brightening public spaces during the late autumn season. Across the central parts of Uppsala, 13 illuminated installations created by Swedish and international light artists transform familiar pedestrian routes, public squares, and building facades into an open night-time gallery. This year, the entire presentation is united under the official theme of Courage. Patience. The route through the city centre invites residents and visitors to spend time outdoors after dark, discovering how contemporary light art can offer quiet moments of reflection within the everyday urban environment.
An interactive game of patience and light
A distinctive feature of the festival program is an installation presented jointly by Uppsala University and Akademiska Hus. Titled To Those Who Wait, the artwork turns the building of Uppsala Concert & Congress into an expansive interactive game board guided by sound and laser light. Rather than encouraging quick competition, the piece directly reflects the festival focus on patience. People interacting with the installation discover that navigating the illuminated game space requires mutual cooperation and calm teamwork, as the lasers and sound elements respond directly to the deliberate coordination of the participants gathered there.
Popular science lectures
Alongside the outdoor art trail, the festival schedule features two popular science lectures designed to share academic perspectives with the public, both held with no admission charge. The first talk takes place on 16 November, featuring cultural anthropologist Katarina Graffman. On the following evening, 17 November, historian of ideas Jenny Andersson presents a lecture hosted at Gustavianum. To welcome attendees and festival visitors, Gustavianum extends its open hours until 19:00 on the evening of 17 November, giving guests an opportunity to step inside the university museum before or after viewing the light art installations across the city centre.
This report is based on information published by Uppsala University. Details such as dates and times can change, so check the original before you go.
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