Linköping, Sweden

Winter Lights

For a couple of months each year this Swedish city turns into a festive neon phantasmagoria.

Each winter the Swedish city of Linköping breaks out its weirdest bulbs and beams to be lit up by public art installations, bringing light to the city when the winter is at its darkest.

It was in 2005 that the city of Linköping first arranged their now annual light installations. Originally the series of lit city walks were called called “November Lights” but the event grew more popular each year and in 2009 it was renamed to simply “Winter Lights” and the colorful exhibition was extended into January. Each year the event itself consists of trails leading through different parts of the city which have been illuminated by installations created by artists and public organizations. There have been facades seemingly set on fire by projectors, disco balls hung under bridges, trees decorated with chandeliers, cars stuck in trees with their lights on and many more. Ranging from trees decorated in public parks to neon designs covering huge utility works, most of the city is transformed each night.

Some of the streets look like a mix of holiday festivity and film noir while others look more traditionally joyous. However the entire city looks like it has come alive in a display to rival many much larger cities, and maybe even the Northern Lights themselves (at least for variety).