Copenhagen Light Festival brightens capital, free of charge

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (CN) — Starting Friday night and lasting until Feb. 23, the Copenhagen Light Festival is bringing its whimsy to the Danish capital.

Europe’s self-described “leading light festival,” the event draws in around 400,000 visitors annually. This year’s festivities will feature 50 light artworks by local and international artists, who combine art and technology against an urban canvas.

It’s the eighth year for the event. Artworks will be scattered across the capital. For the first time this year, they will also extend beyond Copenhagen’s borders, with an installation lighting the Øresund Bridge between Sweden and Denmark.

One event organizer, Anders Kongshaug, said the festival hopes to extend artworks even further, to Malmø, Sweden. The goal, he says, is to make sure art is “present in other areas where people live.”

“That creates innovation, new thoughts and inspiration among people," he said, “which is important for societies.”

Visitors hoping to see all installations should prepare to invest more than a day. The entire festival runs the gamut from canal tours, a light run, a silent disco and more.

Denmark has a proud tradition of manufacturing designer lamps that cast a soft light. That helps ensure a festival like this blends into the everyday cityscape rather than demanding attention.

“There’s no light shining straight into your eyes. That’s what makes this festival beautiful," Kongshaug said. “Copenhagen is a soft backdrop. This event would not be possible in a city like New York.”

While Copenhagen is a major backer of the light festival, private companies also chip in with sponsorship. But sponsorships don’t mean free advertisement; artists are free to make whatever their hearts desire.

It’s all about finding what organizers call the “wow factor.”

“That is our working title,” said Kongshaug. “That’s the only thing we push them to do: to include the wow factor, which is a big part of the festival."

Amid soaring energy prices, some critics have questioned whether it’s responsible for Copenhagen to light up like this for three weeks.

To offset concerns, organizers make sure artists use LED lights. That ensures the entire festival uses about the same amount of power as the lights for one soccer match in the national arena. “If you turn off your computer and pay a visit for some hours, you may have saved as much energy as one art piece has spent during the entire festival,” Kongshaug said.

This year’s festival fill feature 31 art pieces in central Copenhagen. In addition, there will be five at Christians Harbor and Refshaleøen, five in Nordhavn, three in Vestre Cemetery and South Harbor, five at Ørestad and four in Nørrebro.

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