Museum Island hosts Festival of Lights through 18 October
Published on 10/18/2026 at 04:24 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Museum Island (Museumsinsel) in Berlin is hosting the Festival of Lights through 18 October 2026, with projections at the Pergamon Museum and the historic colonnades of the Old National Gallery. The presentation brings a current public event to a UNESCO-listed museum complex while the Pergamon Museum remains under restoration.
Festival of Lights reaches Museum Island through 18 October
The 2026 Festival of Lights runs from 9 to 18 October, so its final evening falls within the current visit period. The official programme places Museum Island among the Berlin venues, while the State Museums describe the two illuminated locations on the site.
The projections follow the festival theme Colours of Love. At the colonnades on the Spree side of the Old National Gallery, changing images use the historic architecture as their setting. At the future temporary entrance to the Pergamon Museum, a projection traces the transformation of the building during its renovation.
The State Museums say the outdoor light displays run from 7pm to 11pm and are free to visit. The organiser's 2026 programme confirms the festival dates and daily evening schedule.
Restoration gives the Pergamon projection a second meaning
The projection at the Pergamon Museum does more than illuminate a closed building. It presents photographs of the renovation and points towards the planned reopening of the museum's north wing and northern central building on 4 June 2027.
At that reopening, the State Museums say visitors will again be able to see the Pergamon Altar and further Hellenistic architecture in the Collection of Classical Antiquities. A newly conceived permanent display by the Museum of Islamic Art is also planned for the north wing, alongside selected works from the Museum of the Ancient Near East.
That link between the light installation and the museum's next phase is specific to this year's event. The projection turns a temporary evening display into a public view of a restoration project that will continue after the festival ends. The official State Museums announcement gives the reopening date and the locations on the island.
Five museums form Berlin's UNESCO-listed ensemble
UNESCO describes the site as a group of five museums built between 1824 and 1930. The complex includes the Altes Museum, the Neues Museum, the Old National Gallery, the Bode Museum and the Pergamon Museum.
The buildings present the development of museum design across more than a century. The Altes Museum opened in 1830 as the first building in the group, while the Pergamon Museum completed the sequence in the twentieth century. The UNESCO site description records the ensemble's architectural and cultural importance.
The 2026 Festival of Lights therefore places two different parts of the ensemble in view. The Old National Gallery supplies historic colonnades for the projections, while the Pergamon Museum communicates the future of a major restoration through its temporary entrance.
Visiting Museum Island: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Festival of Lights runs at the site from 9 to 18 October 2026. On 18 October 2026, the final evening's outdoor displays run from 7pm to 11pm.
- The illuminated areas are outdoors and free to visit. The displays are at the Pergamon Museum and the historic colonnades of the Old National Gallery.
- The clearest view of the Pergamon Museum projection is from the opposite bank of the Spree in Monbijou Park. The State Museums identify this viewpoint in their event announcement.
- Museum Island stands on Spree Island in central Berlin. Its five museum buildings and the surrounding urban ensemble form part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
Searching for Museum Island on social platforms
These links open searches for Museum Island on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about Museum Island
When does the Festival of Lights take place at Museum Island?
The 2026 Festival of Lights runs from 9 to 18 October 2026, with the final evening on 18 October 2026.
What is Museum Island?
It is a UNESCO World Heritage ensemble of five museums on Spree Island in central Berlin. The buildings were constructed between 1824 and 1930.
Where is Museum Island and how do you get there?
Museum Island is on Spree Island in central Berlin, beside the River Spree. The Festival of Lights viewing areas are the Pergamon Museum and the Old National Gallery colonnades.
