The inaugural Shanghai International Light Festival is scheduled to dazzle spectators from Sept 19 to Oct 18.

This event aims to spotlight the city's strides in urban construction and its standing as a trending tourism hub.

Embracing green, low-carbon, and energy-efficient principles, the festival strives to craft a diverse and enriching urban light extravaganza. It seeks to elevate landscape lighting as a unifying force across sectors such as commerce, tourism, culture, sports, and exhibitions.

The festival's main venue activities will unfold from Sept 19 to 27 at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, while subsidiary events will be held from Sept 21 to Oct 18 across 12 sub-venues spanning several districts, namely Pudong, Huangpu, Jing'an, Xuhui, Changning, Putuo, Hongkou, Yangpu, Songjiang, Qingpu, Fengxian, and Lin-gang Special Area.

An illuminated view of the Shanghai Exhibition Center, which will serve as the main venue for the inaugural Shanghai International Light Festival. [Photo/WeChat account: shlhsr]

A myriad of events, themed around "One River (Huangpu River) and One Creek (Suzhou Creek)", will grace elevated roads, key commercial centers, tourist landmarks, parks, green spaces, and iconic buildings across the city.

The festival's itinerary includes the opening ceremony, expert seminars, the "Light of Fashion" illumination show, architectural projection showcases, light and shadow art installations, global landscape lighting exhibitions, festival maps, Shanghai's landscape lighting achievements exhibitions, and the grand closing show.

Internationally acclaimed light and shadow artists and designers hailing from cities like Paris, London, New York, and Sydney will converge alongside representatives from prominent domestic city lighting departments, industry bodies, and leading corporations. Seminars will delve into urban light and shadow artistry, creativity, industry integration, technological advancements, digital innovation, and eco-friendly lighting solutions.

A light show is staged on the facade of Shanghai's Capitol Theatre Building. [Photo/WeChat account: shlhsr]

In collaboration with Shanghai Fashion Week, the festival will host light and shadow fashion displays in locales like Xintiandi and the Bund, spotlighting fashion culture, design, and industry fusion. The Shanghai Exhibition Center will transform into an immersive canvas for themed projection shows with themes spanning National Day, traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary heritage, Haipai culture, Jiangnan traditions, fashion trends, the "Five Centers" initiative, and iconic IPs by Shanghai Film Co Ltd.

The festival will also announce an open invitation for light and shadow art installation proposals from global artists, new media creators, and students from universities in the Yangtze River Delta region. From the submissions, selected works will be showcased at the festival's main and sub-venues. Cutting-edge green and low-carbon technologies in landscape lighting will also be on display, setting industry benchmarks and shaping future trends.

Festival maps will be unveiled during the festival, offering insights into main and sub-venue locations, themed activities, key lighting landmarks, sightseeing routes, and visitor strategies. Online exhibitions and offline showcases will spotlight how Shanghai's landscape lighting is developing, paving the way for the city's 2035 lighting blueprint.

A view of an exhibition related to the light festival. [Photo/WeChat account: shlhsr]

In alignment with the 35th Shanghai Tourism Festival, collaborative efforts with tourist spots, cultural institutions, and museums will yield cultural and tourism events that feature light and shadow art installations and intimate showcases. As part of the "Shanghai Summer" international consumption season and the Golden Autumn Shopping Tourism period, core business districts throughout the city will host light and shadow art displays complemented by small-scale performances.

The festival's grand finale will take place at the West Bund art center in Xuhui district. It will feature the closing ceremony, outstanding light and shadow art installations, architectural projections, and drone light displays.

Source: "shlhsr" WeChat account