Tour · Stichting Amsterdam Light Festival
Amsterdam Light Festival
Herengracht, by the Brouwersgracht, Amsterdam52.38220, 4.89070
About the event
Grown out of a 2009 Christmas canal parade, Amsterdam Light Festival runs a fixed winter route of illuminated artworks through the canals each edition, this one from 26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027. So many visitors do it by boat that recent editions have run a nautical event area over Herengracht and Brouwersgracht on peak nights, with posted speed limits and one-way exits by boat length. This edition is billed as having a brand-new route, and the official route and nautical rules for it are published closer to opening night, so what worked last edition is not a promise of what applies this time.
The organiser
The ANBI foundation behind Amsterdam's winter light-art trail, running since it grew out of a 2009 Christmas canal parade, funded in part by a voluntary contribution from the boat-tour operators that cruise the route each year.
From the water
The event's own nautical rules exist because so many people do this from a boat: on the last confirmed edition, a signed nautical event area covered Herengracht and Brouwersgracht (Thursday to Sunday, plus daily over the Christmas break), with posted speed limits, one-way exits by boat length, and LED screens along the route enforcing it. This edition's own route and rules were not yet published when we last checked, so treat the below as a guide to the shape of it, not this year's confirmed facts, and get the real rules from the festival app before you go.
How it works
Going to this one by boat
Being there: Get the 6.99 euro route map and nautical rules from the official festival app before you go. During festival hours a signed event area covers Herengracht and Brouwersgracht with posted speed limits and boat-length-specific exit routes.
Toilets: This is a moving route with no set stop, so plan ahead or step off briefly along a quiet quay outside the marked event area.
Tickets: Free to view from bridges and paths. Sailing it yourself needs the in-app route map (6.99 euros); organised cruises start from 27.50 euros.
On the map
Where to moor
This is a moving route, not a stop: keep with the flow, and expect posted speed limits and boat-length exit rules once the 2026/27 nautical measures are live. Last edition's version: 5 km/h on Herengracht, 3 km/h on Brouwersgracht/Singel/Korte Prinsengracht, boats over 14 metres exit via Brouwersgracht with a VHF10 report, smaller boats via Brouwersgracht, Singel, or Haarlemmersluis. Confirm the current rules in the official app first, not from us. No stopping at the artworks themselves.
Quick pick-up and drop-off at the Lekkeresluis, where the Brouwersgracht meets the Prinsengracht in the Jordaan. Stairs available. It can get very busy and chaotic, so tie up well and keep it short.
Our take as floating people
We are quietly grateful for this one, a whole festival built around being seen from the water in the dead of winter, when the canals are otherwise close to empty. Come prepared: get the route map and nautical rules from the official app before you go, keep to the posted speed limits and exit rules for your boat's length, and do not expect to loiter at any single artwork, the rules exist because the canal genuinely fills up. Wrap up warm and go slow, that is still the whole point.
Don't miss the next one
Events like this need real planning, sometimes a captain's spot needs booking weeks out. Set a reminder, and we'll email you about this one and others like it.
Good to know
Are these nautical rules confirmed for this edition?
Not yet. This edition has a brand-new route, and the official 2026/27 nautical measures were not published when we last checked. What is shown here is the previous edition's rules as a guide to the shape of it, not a confirmed fact. Get the current rules from the festival app before you go.
Do I need to buy anything to sail the route myself?
Yes, the official festival app's route map (6.99 euros), which also carries the nautical rules you are expected to follow once inside the signed event area.
What were the speed limits last edition?
5 km/h on Herengracht, 3 km/h on Brouwersgracht, Singel, and Korte Prinsengracht, enforced Thursday to Sunday and daily over the Christmas break. Confirm this edition's limits in the app, they may change with the new route.
Can I row or paddle the route?
Last edition, no, muscle-powered craft were banned on Herengracht and Brouwersgracht during event hours, with one weekly exception for supervised rowing clubs. Confirm this still applies once the new route is published.
How do I leave the event area if my boat is over 14 metres?
Last edition: exit to port via Brouwersgracht, reporting on VHF channel 10, then Korte Prinsengracht, Eenhoornsluis, Westerdok, or the IJ. Smaller boats exited to starboard via Brouwersgracht, Singel, or Haarlemmersluis. Reconfirm in the app before relying on this for the new route.
Around the event · 6
Curated Floating Today spots within a short hop of the water here.
More on the water
We list this as an event we think is worth knowing about. We're not the organiser, and these details aren't official. Stichting Amsterdam Light Festival and the signs on the quay have the final say, so give them the final word. More in our Terms.