Christmas lights in Turin 2025: the centre of Luci d’Artista

The Christmas lights in Turin in 2025 form the famous Luci d’Artista, a long‑running open‑air collection by Italian and international artists. The festival turns the whole city into a contemporary art trail, and it’s a cornerstone of Italy’s winter calendar. 

Christmas lights in Turin 2025: dates and switch-on schedule

Turin’s Luci d’Artista 2025/26 runs from 25th October 2025 to 2nd February 2026. Boasting some of the best Christmas lights in Italy, the city turns into an open‑air laboratory of light art by leading Italian and international artists. The project, curated by Antonio Grulli, has evolved from festive lights into a contemporary art institution with year‑round programming and a growing public collection.

This year's edition leans into the theme “Nature in the City Under the Lights of Luci d’Artista,” and introduces urban trekking walks with an environmental hiking guide. 

Sustainability runs through the event, with fragile historic works restored and upgraded to modern LED systems each year. Alongside the core programme, new sections expand the scope: DUET (international collaborations), Costellazione (installations realised with major local institutions) and Luminarie (community‑led neighbourhood lights).

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Must-see Christmas light displays in Turin

This year’s constellation includes more than thirty artists, mixing beloved classics and newer commissions. You’ll spot names that shaped the event’s identity and helped Turin claim its place as Italy’s city of contemporary light.

Highlights to look for at Turin’s Luci d’Artista 2025/26

• Mario Airò — Cosmometrie: celestial geometries traced in light, quietly immersive.
• Tracey Emin — Sex and Solitude: handwritten neon phrases that feel intimate and confessional.
• Daniel Buren — Tappeto Volante: a “flying carpet” of colour and stripes suspended overhead.
• Michelangelo Pistoletto — Amare le differenze: a luminous statement on unity and diversity.
• Rebecca Horn — Piccoli Spiriti Blu: ethereal blue “spirits” hovering on the hillside, recently restored.
• Mario Merz — Il volo dei numeri: numbers soaring up the spire, Turin’s skyline signature.
• Marco Gastini — L’energia che unisce si espande nel blu: a sweeping ribbon of blue light, upgraded to sustainable LEDs.

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Signature settings at Turin's light festival

• Via Roma (arcades): elegant, rain‑proof promenades with long sightlines for night photos.
• Piazza San Carlo (twin churches): Turin’s “drawing room,” symmetrical and cinematic under the lights.
• Piazza Castello (royal backdrop): grand facades and palace edges framing contemporary works.
• Via Po → Piazza Vittorio Veneto (riverside sweep): colonnades opening to one of Europe’s largest squares and the river beyond.
• Mole Antonelliana & Monte dei Cappuccini (skyline anchors): elevated viewpoints and landmark silhouettes that make the installations feel part of the city’s profile.

Other Christmas highlights in Turin 2025

The lights pair beautifully with the seasonal scene, boasting plenty of things to do in Turin. Thanks to the city's cooler climate, it's a great Italian city for a winter getaway if you're looking for that crisp and fresh wintery air.

Family fun often includes pop‑up ice rinks and small fairground rides dotted around the centre. The Palavela ice rink, which has hosted professional competitions, including the 2025 figure skating games and 2006 Winter Olympics, is a popular spot for keen skaters.

Christmas markets typically cluster in central spots like Piazza Castello and Borgo Dora, plus Susa's La Magia del Natal Christmas Market is an annual highlight.

Concerts and cultural events also orbit the main installations throughout the season under the Accademia della Luce programme. The calendar typically adds music, talks, guided activities and family workshops scheduled alongside specific works.

Refuel the Turinese way by trying some typical Italian festive treats. A cup of steaming bicerin in a historic café, a few irresistible gianduiotti, and a slice of panettone as you plan your next lap. If you’ve got extra days, branch out to pretty snowy villages in Piedmont for smaller markets and hillside viewpoints.

Stefano Guidi Getty images

Best routes to see Turin’s Christmas lights 2025

Turin is built for evening promenades: broad arcades, grand piazzas and riverfront views that suit slow wandering. To see as many of Turin's Luci d'Arista's displays as you can, plan your route so you don't miss the big ones.

• Start at Piazza Castello, then glide down Via Roma to Piazza San Carlo—the city’s elegant “drawing room”—before looping up Via Lagrange and into Piazza Carignano.
• From there, it’s an easy drift towards Via Po, Piazza Vittorio Veneto and the Lungo Po for reflections on the river and a view back to the city.
• If you want that postcard skyline, tilt your route toward the Mole Antonelliana and the slope of Monte dei Cappuccini.
• Don’t miss Galleria Umberto I near Porta Palazzo, where a restored light work animates the historic passageway. 

Simone Padovani/Awakening Getty images

Planning a festive winter in Turin and across Italy

If you’re timing Luci d’Artista with a wider December trip, anchor your nights in Turin and layer in festive Italian traditions. Deciding where else to go in Italy in December can be tricky, but a good way to start is by picking the sort of climate you fancy, whether that's crisp days in the snow or warm winter sun.

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