Amsterdam Light Festival

Each edition, the festival commissions around 20 light artworks from artists around the world and sets them in, over and beside the canals. Every work is a piece of art in its own right with a named maker, and the festival app tells you who made each one and how. The foundation behind it gets little public money, so cruise and app sales pay for the art, even though anyone can walk the route for free. For 2026 the team has asked artists what they want to say to the city, and it promises a new route to mark fifteen years.

On foot, the route is 4.5 km and you can walk it whole or in pieces. A cruise takes about 75 minutes. The covered canal boats are heated and have a toilet, which counts for a lot in a damp Dutch December, while the open boats hand out blankets and get you closer to the work. Bring your own boat and you need the app for the route map and the special sailing rules that apply during festival hours.