Photolux Festival

Photolux Festival: Photography in the heart of Lucca

The Photolux Festival is one of the most significant events dedicated to photography in Italy and Europe. Established in Lucca and held biennially since 2012, the event takes place in the historic center of this Tuscan city, where refined Renaissance palaces and monumental buildings are transformed into exhibition halls for three weeks between November and December. The festival is organized in the municipality of Lucca, in the province of Lucca (Tuscany), with the support of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca, the Province, and the Municipality.

An international biennial

Photolux brings dozens of exhibitions to Lucca, distributed across prestigious venues such as Palazzo Ducale and Villa Bottini. Each edition tackles a major contemporary theme, fostering a dialogue between masters of photography, photojournalists, emerging artists, and avant-garde visual languages. The heart of the program features major international awards hosted in Lucca, including the renowned World Press Photo, the Leica Oskar Barnack Award, the Romano Cagnoni Award, and the Photolux Intarget Award.

Exhibitions, authors, and reflection on imagery

The festival alternates monographic retrospectives dedicated to great names in photography with research projects on current events, memory, and identity. Over the years, Lucca has welcomed international authors and exhibitions focused on photojournalism, social reportage, and the transformations of photographic language in the digital and artificial intelligence era.

Beyond exhibitions

• Conferences and talks with photographers, curators, and journalists
• Workshops and photography training seminars
• Portfolio reviews for authors and professionals
• Guided tours of the exhibitions, often with the artists
• Award ceremonies for international competitions

An experience within the city

The strength of Photolux lies in its bond with Lucca: the exhibitions are within walking distance, winding through the city walls, squares, and palaces of the center, in a journey that combines great photography with Tuscany's historical and artistic heritage. It is the perfect opportunity to visit Lucca in autumn, pairing visual culture with the discovery of one of the most fascinating art cities in Tuscany.