The Vilnius Light Festival to be held from 24-26 January 2025

The Vilnius Light Festival will take place on 24-26 January 2025 and is set to transform the city into an open-air modern art gallery.

Bringing a blend of urban space, technology and creativity, The Vilnius Light Festival will brighten the winter season next month. The Old Town’s pretty streets and courtyards will be covered in unique installations, video projects and interactive art in time to celebrate the city’s birthday on 25 January.

Since Vilnius has been designated the European Green Capital 2025, the festival will showcase three works focused on sustainability. One of them, ‘Dreamed Sun’ by Lithuanian artist Agnė Kišonaitė, is made primarily of used tennis balls. The artist invited tennis players to contribute by collecting and donating their old tennis balls to help bring the project to life.

January might be downtime for many places around the world but Vilnius is bursting with life in what is usually one of the most depressing months of the year.

Steeped in history and packed with unique, eccentric and fun things to do, Lithuania’s quirky capital is the place to go. As holidaymakers seek to experience lesser known destinations, curious travellers are putting Vilnius on their wishlist. Vilnius is fresh and relatively untouched by decades of over-tourism and there’s a real buzz about the place right now.

Explore the city’s gastronomy

The first MICHELIN Guide to Lithuania was revealed at a ceremony in Vilnius earlier this year and it was delicious news for the capital city’s own eateries.

Vilnius’ thriving culinary scene stepped into the spotlight as four top Vilnius restaurants were each awarded One MICHELIN star. Foodies are sure to enjoy the city’s bold flavours.

Shop til you drop …then refuel

A little retail therapy is a fun part of any city break and Vilnius is the perfect place to treat yourself to some locally designed jewellery, arts and crafts – perfect for unique souvenirs to take home as a memento from your trip.

Shopping in Vilnius is a great way to enjoy the city and you’ll find a string of top brand names here.

For some retail therapy, head to Du Broliai or Mados linija, both located in City Hall Square, or splash the cash in Tops Boutique – a store that sells a host of quality designer labels.

Coffee lovers will be in their element in Vilnius and there’s even a coffee crawl guide to help visitors get their daily caffeine fix. Shopping can be thirsty work!

That’s entertainment

If you really feel the need to get out of the cold, a must-see attraction in Vilnius is the MO Museum – The Home of Contemporary Art. And for opera lovers, there’s always something wonderful going on at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre in the evenings.

Pamper time?

Vilnius spas offer some of the most advanced and therapeutic treatments all carried out in blissfully serene settings – a wonderful way to chase away the winter blues!  Find out here which spas should be on the agenda for your trip.

Visitors planning to travel to the city can find a complete guide to the installations and a map of where to see them on the free Vilnius Light Festival app. Get it on Google Play or download it on the App Store.

Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this one-of-a-kind experience and let there be light for your new year city break.

How to get here:

Direct flights from the UK to Vilnius are available with Ryanair, Wizzair and LOT.