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Magical light festivals in NRW: Light up your November!
Experience the festive lights festivals in NRW 2025, including the China Lights Festival at Cologne Zoo and more.
Magical light festivals in NRW: Light up your November!
The cold season is just around the corner and North Rhine-Westphalia is turning into a sea of lights! In the months of November and December 2025, exciting festivals of lights will take place in numerous cities. From Cologne to Jülich to Düsseldorf – bright lights and festive activities everywhere invite you to visit. How 24rhine reports, visitors can look forward to a variety of attractions, including illuminated figures, works of art and a colorful supporting program.
These highlights are the perfect reason to enjoy the region's festive atmosphere. It starts, among other things, with the China Lights Festival in the Cologne Zoo, which opens on December 12th, 2025 and is open daily from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. until February 1st, 2026 - the zoo only remains closed on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Here, guests can expect 64 impressive light ensembles with a total of 1,400 individual figures and 4,000 LED lights, which bathe the themes of insects, amphibians, giant bears and extinct animals in a magical light.
Highlights of the festival of lights
Another exciting event is the “Zoo Lights” exhibition at the Duisburg Zoo, which starts on November 6th and runs until December 7th, 2025. Here, adults can admire more than 30 light installations along a 4-kilometer circular route for 17.50 euros and children up to 17 years old for 10 euros. The autumn lights in Brückenkopf Park in Jülich also promise an unforgettable evening. From October 18th to November 9th, 2025, visitors can immerse themselves in a world of light installations and culinary delicacies from 4:00 p.m.
Of course, there is also something in Düsseldorf for lovers of good cuisine and light art: The Japan & Korea Food and Light Festival on the Rhine promenade will take place from November 7th to 9th, 2025. Here, visitors can admire light installations and try street food with free entry from 5 p.m. The Saisons in the city offers special delicacies, where cooking is celebrated as an art form. Frédérique, the boss, brings her passion for healthy and tasty cuisine to every plate.
Lights for everyone
The numerous events are not only suitable for families, art lovers and night owls also get their money's worth. For example, “Recklinghausen shines” will delight visitors from October 24th to November 9th, 2025 with a mix of light shows, concerts and readings in the old town – all with free admission. The light market will take place in the Duisburg-Nord Landscape Park from November 28th to 30th and offers handicrafts from over 120 exhibitors for all art lovers.
As the crowning conclusion to this magical time, the winter lights in Westfalenpark in Dortmund invite you to marvel from December 6th, 2025 to January 4th, 2026. Here, fascinating light sculptures illuminate the darkness and allow visitors to immerse themselves in a dreamlike winter world.
NRW is a real paradise for light fans! The variety of offerings ensures that there is something for every taste and every age. The coming months promise sparkling experiences and unforgettable moments that brighten up the cold season in a very special way.