Brixen Water Light Festival

A festival of light and water in the heart of Bressanone

The Brixen Water Light Festival is one of Europe's most anticipated light art events and a highlight of the cultural calendar in South Tyrol. Every two years in spring, the historic center of Bressanone (Brixen), in the province of Bolzano, becomes a vast open-air gallery: fountains, squares, historic palaces, churches, and the banks of the two alpine streams flowing through the city serve as the backdrop for light installations, projections, interactive works, and performances by international artists.

Water and light as an artistic language

The festival's concept revolves around a simple yet powerful idea: water is life, light is art. The artworks invite the public to reflect on ecological, economic, and social issues related to water and light—elements deeply rooted in Bressanone's identity, thanks to the Isarco and Rienza rivers and the local alpine tradition. The result is a nocturnal trail that weaves together contemporary art, digital technology, nature, and urban heritage.

The 2026 edition: Imagine Peace

From April 29 to May 16, 2026, the festival presents over twenty installations and performances throughout the city. For the first time, the Water Light Festival joins the European project Imagine Peace, co-funded by the European Union, connecting light festivals in Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Croatia. The theme of peace runs through the entire event: from interactive sculptures that invite us to transcend the ego to projections sharing stories of resistance and memory. The edition features twenty-three artists and collectives from thirteen countries, including Ukrainian artist Julia Shamsheieva with her work Voice of Ukraine and Croatian artist Marko Bolkovic.

A trail through squares, churches, and streams

The installations wind through the city's squares and monuments: from the Cathedral Square to the White Tower, from the Hofburg to the Frauenkirche, and extending to the Rappanlagen gardens and the Stufels district. Featured works include Survey of Waves by Sabrina Ratté, On Blank Pages by the collective Luzinterruptus in Cathedral Square, Imagine Peace by Lysteater, and Walking Towards Peace by Eva Esmann Behrens at the White Tower. Some installations also extend to the Fortezza Fortress (Franzensfeste) and the Schenoni area.

A biennial event

The Water Light Festival was founded in 2017 and is held biennially, in even-numbered years (2017, 2019, 2022, 2024, 2026). There is no main event in odd-numbered years, although the organization promotes side initiatives, such as the digital exhibition dedicated to World Water Day. The festival is organized by Brixen Tourism and has established Bressanone as a key destination on the international light festival circuit.