—Light Festival Amsterdam 2026/2027—

Join Our
Festival of Lights
Amsterdam
Canal Cruise

From November 26. 2026 to January 17, 2027
international artists light up the city and present their works on the canals of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

get a first-class view

our canal cruise

Looking for the best views of the outdoor light art exhibition, go with Captain Dave

The Leap by Atelier Haute Cuisine, artist impression, Amsterdam Light Festival — The Leapby Atelier Haute Cuisine, artist impression

M2 / Your Housing Rights by Meeus van Dis, artist impression, Amsterdam Light Festival — M2 / Your Housing Rightsby Meeus van Dis, artist impression

Fragmented Transmission by Ivan Kalinchev, artist impression, Amsterdam Light Festival — Fragmented Transmissionby Ivan Kalinchev, artist impression

Celebrate light

From today on you can get your Amsterdam Festival of Lights Tickets. We offer both private and public tours.

Reflect on 15 yrs of light art

We celebrate SEE THE CITY IN A NEW LIGHT, with 20 inspiring works of art in and along the canals of Amsterdam.

Top 10 best festivals Europe

The Festival of Lights is one of the ten best winter festivals in Europe.
—The Guardian

Light as Air (Amsterdam Edition) by Chankalun, artist impression, Amsterdam Light Festival — Light as Air (Amsterdam Edition)by Chankalun, artist impression

Darth Fisher by Streetart Frankey. Photo by Janus van den Eijnden, Amsterdam Light Festival — Darth Fisherby Streetart Frankey. Photo: Janus van den Eijnden

Inversion Waterfall by UxU Studio. Photo by Janus van den Eijnden, Amsterdam Light Festival — Inversion Waterfallby UxU Studio. Photo: Janus van den Eijnden

Opening hours festival

The light artworks are on every day from 4:30 pm until 10:00 pm, on New Year’s Eve until 5:00 pm.

Get a first-class view

We follow a special route to see the best of the light artworks along the route. Your captain will be guide and host in one.

Cruise in style

You sail in a comfortable, electric boat with heated salon, sliding windows, sliding sunroof, outer deck, and toilet on board.

plan your trip

Plan your trip

Small group, up to 12 guests. Daily from 4:30pm till 10:00pm, 26 November 2026 until 17 January 2027.
90-minute evening boat tour with first-class view on the art works, mulled wine, and hot chocolate.

On Blank Pages by Luzinterruptus, Amsterdam Light Festival — On Blank Pagesby Luzinterruptus. © Luzinterruptus

What people say

Highly Recommend Amazing tour. Guide was kind, funny and very knowledgeable. Highly recommend. He also helps us find a good place to eat afterwards.
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Blackburn10

A Magical Journey Through Amsterdam’s Lights with Captain Dave The Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise with Captain Dave was truly a magical experience. Our captain navigated the boat, which, despite its nearly 100 years, is still in impeccable condition, with remarkable skill. The intimate atmosphere of the small tour, with only five passengers aboard, made the experience even more special. Captain Dave, an incredibly knowledgeable and charming woman, shared her extensive insights about the city and the stunning light art, entertaining us wonderfully. Included in the price were delicious snacks and an excellent selection of beverages, which made the journey even more enjoyable. This tour is a fantastic opportunity to explore the city from the water. We wholeheartedly recommend Captain Dave!
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Pascal B

Fab light fest private tour Captain dave light fest tour was fab. We had gone last year with them too and this year even better- the commentary/skipper on board karim but also captain dave mgmt/hospitality/troubleshooting. Comfortable warm boat in freezing weather. A must to go again and spread the positive word.
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wendy lynn b
De boot was mooi en warm, gevuld met koele en warme dranken en Nederlandse snacks! Onze gids was deskundig en vertelde de geschiedenis van Amsterdam op zo'n boeiende manier! Ik liep weg opgewonden over alles wat ik had geleerd, zowel over de stad als over de kunstwerken die het kanaal versierden.
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Kya

Beautiful! Beautiful little cruise on the canals, warm in the beautiful boat. Karim the captain is great, he fascinates us with his anecdotes about his heart town. The lights are magic! We highly recommend to discover the city in one evening.
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Estelle M

Romin was onze kapitein en hij was absoluut geweldig. Wat een professional! Hij leidde ons door alle licht tentoonstellingen terwijl hij door een ongelooflijk druk kanaal navigeerde en ervoor zorgde dat iedereen comfortabel was. Ik zou dit zeker opnieuw doen.
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Mike
De kapitein was geweldig, de lichtfestival kanaalcruise was geweldig. Zeker aan te raden!
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Brandy

Beautiful boat! Our guide was wonderful. Beverages and snacks were better than expected! This is definitely worth going on, small private group experience is worth it.
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Lara K

Geweldige ervaring en zou het iedereen aanbevelen. Goede rondleiding door de stad terwijl je ook geniet van de lichten. Onze gids was zeer deskundig en zeer aangenaam.
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Carlie
Geweldige ervaring. Zeker een aanrader
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Emanuele

Great experience Researched different boats and picked Captain Dave. It’s a smaller boat (12 people) than most of the massive commercial tours and we were able to take some side options while others were waiting in traffic on the canal. Lots of great/fun/interactive information. Didn’t need a boat with all the food, we had snacks and plenty of drink options. Would definitely recommend Captain Dave and crew. Fantastic!!
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Dan G

Go you wont be disappointed! Excellent informative tour. A warm welcome on to the boat great range of drinks and snacks were delicious. Great night enjoyed by all five of my family!
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Michelle M