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Sustainability

Amsterdam Light Festival is an annual exhibition of light art in the public space. Every year our light artworks tell a new story. We literally and figuratively illuminate the darkest days and inspire and connect the visitors and residents of Amsterdam. We strive to do so with a minimized carbon footpint.

Sustainability Manifesto

In 2022 over twenty festivals in Europe have signed the ILO Sustainable Manifesto, including Amsterdam Light Festival. This manifesto is drafted by the international association International Light Festival Organisation (ILO) to contribute to sustainable light festivals worldwide. Festival director Frédérique ter Brugge is board member of this association. With the manifesto we commit to becoming more sustainable in what we do and also sharing the knowledge.

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Energy consumption

  • We use LED lights, only in exceptional cases we make use of neon light.
  • We use (green) mainspower and no diesel-powered generators.
  • Newly developerd energy sources remain available for the neighborhood.
  • Our cruises are executed by Official Partners, with a fleet that is largely equipped with electrical motors.
  • We aim for 100% electric in 2025. Take a look at our cruise experiences here, and read more about electric boats in 2025 here.
  • The total consumption of Edition 11 was 15.000 kWh for all operations and the 20 light artworks, over 53 days. Based on our visitor numbers, we calculated an energy consumption of 30 watt per person. This roughly equals watching TV for a night, or the daily use (including charging) of a smartphone.
  • The results for Edition 12 will be posted here after the festival.

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Materials

  • A large part of the artworks is replaced or given a permanent location after the festival.
  • The materials of the artworks that cannot be replaced after the Festival are seperated and recycled wherever possible.
  • The focus is on digital communication instead of printed materials.
  • Flags and other means of outdoor communication are re-used wherever possible. When they are damaged, we donate the materials to artists or organisations.

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Mobility

  • Most of our experiences depart from Central Station, which stimulates visitors to come by public transport.
  • Residents of Amsterdam come by foot or by bike.
  • For bigger groups, Zouthaven is the departure location, so busses do not have to enter the city. For smaller groups the optimal departure location can be customized.
  • For the transport of (parts of) the artworks to Amsterdam we always make use of transport by land - preferrably by train - unless it has to come from outside of Europe.
  • The same applies to the travel and transportation of artists.
  • The artworks are build-up on the spot where possible, large transport is minimized.
  • For the (de)construction of the artworks we make use of a hub from where everything is transported on water via electrical boats.
  • The technical crew travels per electric boat, or by bike.

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Impulse

By stretching the festival out over a longer period of time we also spread the amount of visitors. Most visitors do no just come to Amsterdam for our festival, they will combine their visit with a day-activity or a stay. There is very little travel for the festival alone. Moreover, we provide businesses in Amsterdam with an extra impulse during the winter months.