If gastronomy symbolizes the Lyon that is hungry, the Festival of Lights symbolizes the Lyon that shines. In both cases, the connection to the king of beasts is clear: the lion devours as much as it dazzles. The Festival of Lights or gastronomy—it’s simply “Lyon” spelled a different way. We’ve all experienced the Festival of Lights and read everything there is to read about it. We don’t claim to be rewriting history with these few lines, but simply want to revisit one of our greatest local sources of pride.
1852… and there was light!
It all began in the mid-19th century, in the midst of the Industrial Revolution, in 1852. To give you an idea, at that time, Victor Hugo hadn’t yet written *Les Misérables*, Van Gogh wasn’t even born yet, and it had only been four years since the last Canut revolt… but Brasserie Georges had already opened its doors!
That year, a statue of the Virgin Mary was scheduled to be unveiled at Fourvière on September 8, but an exceptional flood of the Saône River threw a wrench in the works. The Grand Camp and Tête-d’Or levees gave way, houses on Rue de la Charité collapsed, and the water even flooded part of Place Bellecour…
The festivities were postponed to December 8, just to give the river time to calm down. But in early December, it was the sky, this time, that came to spoil the ceremony. The authorities were on the verge of canceling when, suddenly, a break in the clouds gave way to a starry sky—a phenomenon rare enough to be worth noting! As a sign of gratitude (in the 19th century, religious beliefs were extremely strong), the people of Lyon spontaneously brought out thousands of candles and placed them in their windows. Lyon had just created, without even realizing it, the beginnings of the Festival of Lights.
The “lumignons,” Lyon’s guestbook
A symbol made all the more powerful by the fact that it embodies light! Through these little candles,Lyon expresses all its vitality and effervescence. For every year for the past 174 years, Lyon has donned its mantle of light in December, and what was once merely a local tradition has transformed into a global event.
Since 1989, the city of Lyon has decided to shift into second gear, all while keeping its foot on the gas. Alongside the Lighting Plans of 1989, 2005, and 2023—which establish lighting as an integral part of the city—the Festival of Lights has only grown to reach almost unbelievable proportions.
The Festival of Lights Today
In recent years, no fewer than 2 million people have taken to the streets of Lyon to witness the spectacle. To give you an idea, that’s 10 times bigger than the Cannes Film Festival, and not even Céline Dion and her mega-tour (which will still draw 800,000 people) can compete. This massive undertaking, spread over four “short” days, requires logistics on par with the world’s largest events. After all , bringing together and inspiring the equivalent of the population of Paris (within city limits) or Montreal over 96 hours is nothing short of magical. Since 1852, Lyon’s treasure has continued to shine…
