- Across the globe, people love to celebrate the winter holidays by viewing festive Christmas lights.
- While some cities go more over-the-top than others with their decorations, these extravagant holiday light displays are sure to make any viewer’s jaw drop.
- Here are 30 beautiful holiday light displays from around the world.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Even the most bitter of Scrooges can’t resist the allure of these gorgeous holiday light installations.
From a 279-feet-high tree made of lights to lantern festivals and quaint lit-up European villages, countries across the globe have their own traditions when it comes to celebrating the holiday season.
Here are 30 jaw-dropping photos that show what famous holiday light displays look like around the world.
Austin, Texas, USA
The Zilker Park Trail of Lights has been a tradition in Austin, Texas for more than 50 years. The walk features 65 displays, 2 million lights, and various holiday activities that provide festive fun for the whole family. The trail of lights also hosts a few of Austin’s most famous food trucks, local musical talent, movies, merchants, and more.
Source: Austin Trail of Lights
Berlin, Germany
Around Christmastime and the holiday season, the streets along Kurfurstendamm in Berlin, Germany are lit up with trees, stars, and other beautiful lights. Berlin, Germany also holds multiple Christmas markets that sell artisanal goods, gifts, and traditional foods like roasted almonds, making this city the perfect destination for travelers looking to get into the festive holiday spirit.
Source: Visit Berlin
Bruges, Belgium
Bruges, Belgium also hosts one of Europe's most exciting and festive Christmas markets, in which the historic city center of Bruges is completely transformed with vendors and activities for visitors.
Source: European Best Destinations
Chiang Mai, Thailand
The Yee Peng Festival in Chiang Mai is held every year on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month every year, which usually falls during November. The Lantern Festival holds great significance in Thailand, and Buddhists in the country believe that making a wish before releasing the lantern will make it come true. This year, the festival falls on November 11.
Source: Chiang Mai
Chicago, Ilinois, USA
This year marks the 25th year of the annual ZooLights display in Chicago, Illinois. The display is set to feature 2.5 million lights, which are free for the public to view. ZooLights also holds numerous events requiring tickets such as a carousel, Ferris wheel, a light maze, and more.
Source: Lincoln Park Zoo
Como, Italy
The Città dei Balocchi festival in Como has been enchanting visitors for the past 25 years. During the Magic Light Festival, which illuminates the Piazza Cavour and Teatro Sociale, images are projected onto historical buildings in a light show that is both beautiful and shares a slice of Italian history.
Source: Bellagio Lake Como
Edinburgh, Scotland
During Edinburgh, Scotland's Christmas Market, visitors can wander the streets, shop for goods from dozens of vendors, and, of course, view the beautiful holiday lights and the lit-up Ferris wheel at the center of the celebration.
Source: Visit Scotland
Kobe, Japan
Kobe Luminarie light festival has been operating each year for over 20 years. The festival is held in memory of the victims of the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, which killed 4,571 people in Kobe alone. This year, the festival will be held from December 6-15th.
Source: Japan Cheapo, Britannica
Lapland, Finland
Lapland, Finland is known for its dedication to celebrating the festive Christmas season. Each year, the town is completely lit up with lights, and visitors can even hand-deliver their letters to the town's resident Santa at the Rovaniemi Santa Claus Village. If artificial light shows just won't cut out, you can also view the incredible Northern Lights from this area of Finland.
Source: Visit Finland
London, England
The holiday season is a wonderful time to visit London. Around Christmas, New Year's, and the other winter holidays, the city's historic shopping district, namely Oxford Street, is completely lit up with beautiful light installations that are sure to amaze any visitor.
Source: Time Out
Moscow, Russia
One of the most popular Christmas markets in Russia's capital city is the Christmas annual fair in Red Square, right in front of the GUM department store. The market features dozens of vendors selling decorations, Russian treats and food, and souvenirs. There's also a skating rink for ice skating under the gorgeous lights of the fair.
Source: The Moscow Times
Malaga, Spain
The port city puts on an astonishing display of lights and music in the street Calle Larios every year. This year's theme is "Christmas Forest," and decorations adorn nine main streets in total, including the famed Calle Larios. Visitors can enjoy the music show and make their way over to the illuminated Christmas tree thats stands within the Plaza de la Constitucion.
Source: Malaga Web
Remedios, Cuba
Remedios is a small town in Cuba known for its Christmas festival, Las Parrandas Christmas de Remedios. The festival is considered the oldest in the country, dating back to the 18th century. The tradition started when the priest of the Grand Cathedral of Remedios would hand out spoons and bowls to children, encouraging them to run through the streets to encourage people to come to midnight mass. Now, the street party kicks off every December 16th and lasts a full ten days. Every night features conga groups, gigantic floats, firework shows, and full-on dance parties in the streets.
Source: Cuba Group Tour
Stockholm, Sweden
From November 16th to January 13th, Stockholm switches on one million LED lights in over 40 streets across the city, to get locals and visitors in the holiday spirit. Enormous displays of reindeer and pine trees line the city squares, making for a great evening stroll of the city.
Source: Visit Stockholm
Torrance, California, USA
From December 1st to New Year's Day, the Sleepy Hollow Christmas Lights Extravaganza is on display every night in the South Torrance neighborhood. The tradition has been going on for over 40 years, and dozens of homes are decked out with over-the-top displays, inflatables, and lights. Many homes opt for a unique theme and even sell hot chocolate and warm churros for visitors.
Source: South Bay Events
New York City, NY, USA
New York City features a host of holiday light displays, from the giant tree in Rockefeller Plaza to the lights on the front of Sak's Fifth Avenue and the glowing window displays at all of the biggest department stores.
Nuremberg, Germany
Each year Nuremberg's Old Town is turned into a "Christmas City" filled with more than 180 market stands to sell traditional foods like prunes, bratwurst, and roasted almonds, toys, crafts, and more. This year, the festive tradition kicks off on November 29.
Source: Christkindlesmarkt
Paris, France
The Ile-de-France and Champs-Elysee attract visitors from all over the world year-round to marvel at these two beautiful examples of French architecture. Around the holidays, however, the area is completely lit up as over 400 trees befitted with gorgeous festive lights.
Source: Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Catholic traditions are strong in Brazil, so it may come as no surprise that the Christmas celebrations in Rio are bigger and brighter than in many other countries. Every year, the city lights a 279-feet-high floating Christmas tree in the center of the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon in Rio de Janeiro, the largest floating Christmas tree in the world.
Source: Rove
Salerno, Italy
The Luci d'Artista Light Show in Salerno, Italy attracts thousands of visitors each year. Every year, the light show varies slightly, but always features breathtaking light installations and shows along the streets of the beautiful Italian town.
Source: Positano.com
San José, Costa Rica
Each year, San José hosts a week-long festival of lights that includes a light parade filled with different illuminated floats, concerts, and fireworks after dark.
Source: Tico Times
Seoul, South Korea
Visitors to the Seoul Christmas Festival will not be disappointed by these gorgeous holiday light displays. Over the years, the Cheonggyecheon area has become famous for its over-the-top Christmas illuminations, which are themed around a different concept each year. Last year, the metropolitan area of Cheonggyecheon was divided into five lit-up sections: Dream, Hwanhee, Santa, Happy, and Hope.
Source: HaB Korea
Singapore
Known as the Christmas Wonderland at the Garden by the Bay, this gorgeous light installation attracts visitors from all across the world to Singapore. The light display features luminarie light sculptures handmade by Italian craftsmen, a luminarie mirror maze, and Asia's tallest luminarie Christmas tree. Visitors to the installation can also sing Christmas carols, meet Santa Claus, and shop in the Christmas markets.
Source: Visit Singapore
St. Augustine, Florida, USA
The annual Nights of Lights display in St. Augustine, Florida turns the area into a beautiful winter wonderland. During the holiday display, businesses and restaurants stay open later, allowing visitors to enjoy the beautiful lights late into the evening while dining or shopping in view of the lit-up buildings. The display carries on into the new year and doesn't end until February 2nd, 2020.
Source: Visit St. Augustine
Medellín, Colombia
The annual Medellín Christmas lights, also known as Alumbrados Navideños or El Alumbrado, are displayed in both the Parque Norte Amusement Park and the Medellín River. National Geographic named Medellín as one of the top 10 cities in the world to see holiday lights, and the displays continue to outdo themselves year after year. The display includes color-changing lights that illuminate the river, which is truly a sight to see.
Source: Medellin Guru, The Culture Trip
Sydney, Australia
The Lights of Christmas at St Mary's Cathedral is regarded as Sydney's most popular Christmas lights show. Each year, images relating to the winter holidays are projected onto the face of the historic St. Mary's Cathedral. The show is commenced with a choir performance, and viewers can also enjoy holiday treats like churros and artisan gelato while gazing up at the beautiful light show.
Source: Lights of Christmas
Tokyo, Japan
The Tokyo, Japan illuminations are known worldwide and attract more than 7 million visitors each year. There are multiple installations across the city around the holidays, including Roppongi, which features a display of roughly 190,000 LED bulbs.
The 15th annual Caretta Shiodome Winter Illumination will be held this year, inspired by the Disney film "Aladdin" and centering around the theme of "Arabian Nights." While many Tokyo illuminations end before Christmas day, the Caretta Shiodome Winter Illumination stays up until February.
Source: Live Japan, JW
Vienna, Austria
Vienna is renowned as one of the most naturally stunning cities in Europe, but the city really comes alive around the holidays. Every year, the city puts on a Christmas market in front of Vienna City Hall, which is completely illuminated by lights and installations.
Source: Visiting Vienna
Warsaw, Poland
Visitors to Warsaw, Poland around the holiday season won't be disappointed by the capital city's bustling Christmas market and beautiful light displays. Warsaw's main Christmas market is located in Castle Square in front of the Royal Castle, in the historic Old Town section of the city.
Source: TripSavvy
Yokohama, Japan
All across the city of Yokohama, Japan, visitors can enjoy splendid Christmas and holiday illuminations. Two of many of the city's light displays are located at Isezaki Mall and at Yokohama Landmark Tower's Dockyard Garden, where the trees are lit up with gorgeous twinkling lights.
Source: Yokohama Japan
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