©Stad Gent
Every three years, Ghent is set ablaze with lights during the free Ghent Light Festival. This festival lights up the city with works by national and international light artists. The city’s nights will become the backdrop for a surprising spectacle, ingenious installations, spectacular performances and beautiful events, all based on light. Get ready to discover Ghent’s historic sites and monuments from a different angle.
The Light Festival puts the internationally acclaimed Ghent lighting plan in the spotlight and gives you the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Ghent’s unique hidden charm after sunset.
The Light Festival with a guide
Do you want to visit the Light Festival with a guide? That’s possible. Various guides associations based in Ghent organise guided visits:
How to reach Ghent?
Ghent lies at the intersection of the E17 and the E40 motorways and is therefore easily accessible by car or coach. With two railway stations in the city, arrival by train is certainly an easy option. Gent-Dampoort station is within walking distance of the trail.
Low emission zone: register your vehicle to avoid a fine.
Your vehicle’s Euro standard and fuel type determine whether or not you are allowed to enter the city centre of Ghent. Clean cars can enter the city, polluting cars must pay. If your vehicle is allowed to enter the city centre but you do not have a Belgian or Dutch number plate, you should ALWAYS register it!
Information about the low emission zone can be found here
The Light Festival by coach
Parking at the Gent-Dampoort railway station – parking and/or alighting/boarding.
Simply follow Slachthuisstraat all the way to the end and you will end up at the information point at Coyendanspark, where you can join the route.
Your guests can also alight and board (free of charge, max. 30 minutes) at the Godshuizenlaan K&R or at the Bijlokekaai K&R, which can host about 8 coaches. Subsequently park the coach at the free Yachtdreef car park (which can host up to 14 coaches).
This activity takes place on a location within the low emission zone
Are you driving to Ghent? First check whether you may enter the city centre with your vehicle. Clean vehicles may enter the city centre free of charge, polluting vehicles have to pay. Is your vehicle allowed to enter, but do you not have a Belgian or Dutch number plate? You will ALWAYS have to register!
Find out all there is to know about Ghent’s low emission zone (LEZ) here
The information continues beneath the illustrations.
Agenda
Entrance Fee
Basic price
free
Tickets
Hotels located on or within the zone of the trail will not be accessible by bike or car from 17:30 (from 16:30 on Sunday) and until 01:00. Read all traffic measures during the Light Festival.
