Illuminale – Light Art Festival in Trier

When darkness falls, hedges, trees, and buildings will be "staged" as never before: with sometimes white, sometimes colorful, sometimes bright, sometimes soft, sometimes small, sometimes large, sometimes projected, and sometimes transparent light from thousands of LEDs and spotlights. Lanterns, arc lights, star lanterns, swimming candles, and colorful projections. No matter whether it’s Petrisberg mountain, the Moselle embankment, the Palace Garden, or Nell’s Park, Neustrasse, Imperial Baths, Domfreihof oder the Main Market: Every year the Illuminale seemingly transforms well-known spaces into mystical, enchanting magic worlds. Together with diverse performances by light artists, dancers, or artists, the Illuminale creates a festival by Trier townspeople for Trier townspeople with family-friendly food and drink and laid-back music, where visitors’ interaction and ideas of inclusion play a significant role.

Illuminale on September 24 and 25, 2021

Last year, the Porta Nigra, probably Trier's best-known attraction, was put in a special light. In addition to a light and sound installation for the Roman city gate, the Porta Nigra forecourt, the Brunnenhof and the Simeonstiftplatz also became the backdrop for a variety of art events and hundreds of lights with the participation of the citizens and various Trier institutions.The Porta Nigra has been in Trier for over 1850 years and is considered the best-preserved Roman city gate north of the Alps. It was not only part of the ancient city limits, but as a gate it also symbolizes permeability and openness to this day. Under the motto “Europe. Boundless.”, its special architecture, its rich history and its importance for the city in the present and future were artfully taken up as video mapping as part of the Illuminale 2021.

The next Illuminal will take place in 2023.