Europe’s largest lantern and light festival comes to Brussels this winter

Europe’s largest lantern and light festival comes to Brussels this winter
Credit: Lightopia

Lightopia Festival, Europe's biggest lantern and light festival is coming to Belgium this winter, as its first edition outside the United Kingdom will be hosted on the historic grounds of the Grand Bigard castle, just outside of Brussels.

The festival, which is inspired by the traditions of the Chinese New Year, has won multiple awards for its combination of traditionally handcrafted lanterns with modern design and technology such as water shows, 3D projections, and artistic installations to create an interactive and immersive experience.

"Originating from the United Kingdom, this event is coming to the continent for the first time," said Xavier Pelgrims, owner of the Grand-Bigard castle. "At night, a fabulous light show will illuminate the castle and the park with hundreds of multi-coloured and interactive lights, a real enchantment for everyone."

The castle of Grand-Bigard is a 17th-century landmark adorned with beautiful gardens, magical woodland and Renaissance-style architecture. From November, people will be able to admire a 1.8 km-long light and lanterns trail, filled with thousands of installations using over 1,000,000 light bulbs.

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"We are thrilled to bring Lightopia Festival to Brussels in the beautiful scenery of the Grand-Bigard castle," added Ian Xiang, Founder of Lightopia. "At Lightopia Brussels, we will share our passion for light and creativity, bring joy to our audiences and offer them an unforgettable experience that families and friends can enjoy together."

The festival will showcase an interactive Tree of Life protected by the Manneken Pis Fairy. Visitors will walk through an enchanted light trail and discover the Fairy Gate, Golden Christmas Tree, Spell Tunnel, Dream Catcher, Magical Safari, Belgium Fairy Flowers, Enchanted Mini-City, Wizardly Lights and Love Land, among other things.

A water show featuring a 40-meter wide and 15-meter-tall water screen will also rise in front of the castle, turning it into a never-before-seen fairy tale dreamworld to be enjoyed over a cup of mulled wine or hot chocolate.

Lightopia Brussels at the Grand-Bigard castle will be open to the public on selected days from 18 November 2022 to 8 January 2023.


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