Night in a big city. Light festivals as a creative medium used at night and their impact on the authority, significance and prestige of a city

In times of global urbanization, cities are looking for completely new marketing methods. One such tool is the creative use of artificial light after dark, in the form of light festivals. This paper aims to introduce the historical development of this phenomenon and also presents the examples of the contemporary illumination projects of Fête des Lumières festival in Lyon, Luminale in Frankfurt or Lights in Alingsas, a smaller festival in Sweden, offering a review of the best practices and case studies in Europe. The intention of this paper is also to demonstrate how much light festivals can contribute to the promotion and communication of a European city in the development of its marketing strategy, contributing towards creating its image, significance and its distinctive target brand.