Spotlight – International Light Art Festival
Launched in 2015, on the occasion of the International Year of Light, Spotlight is the first light art festival in Romania and a landmark of the Bucharest cultural scene. Conceived as an outdoor exhibition, the event transforms the city into a nighttime show of light, art and technology, bringing together interactive installations, spectacular projections and video mappings signed by both Romanian and international artists. During the festival, Calea Victoriei — one of the capital's most emblematic boulevards — becomes pedestrian and turns into an open-air new media gallery. Symbolic buildings such as the National Military Circle, the Odeon Theatre, the CEC Palace or the National History Museum come to life through video mapping and lighting installations, providing a multisensory experience that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Throughout its editions, Spotlight has redefined the way the public interacts with the urban space and paved the way for new forms of artistic expression in the city, becoming both a long-awaited event and a source of inspiration for other cultural initiatives in Romania.
Spotlight — International Light Art Festivalis a project ARCUB — Cultural Center of Bucharest.
The largest festival of light in the capital
Festivalul este organizat de Primăria Municipiului București prin ARCUB - Centrul Cultural al Municipiului București
Organizer
ARCUB — Cultural Center of Bucharest
Organizer
Capital City Hall
Past editions
Edition #1
The first edition of the Spotlight Festival took place in 2015, the year UNESCO proclaimed the International Year of Light, placing Bucharest on the map of major cities that celebrate light through art.
Edition #2
The 2016 edition was also marked by Bucharest’s bid for the title of European Capital of Culture 2021, with Spotlight reflecting the priorities of this initiative through its openness towards the city’s neighborhoods.
Edition #3
In 2017, Spotlight transformed Calea Victoriei into an exhibition space of over 7,000 sqm, where the public discovered 22 multimedia installations and spectacular video mappings. Organized in partnership with the Festival of Lights in Berlin and Signal Festival in Prague, the event brought Bucharest closer to the international network of major light festivals.
Edition #4
Under the motto “United We Shine,” Spotlight 2018 celebrated the Centenary of the Great Union with 27 light installations and projections across more than 20,000 sqm, extending the festival route for the first time to iconic landmarks such as the Arch of Triumph, the Romanian Athenaeum, and the Știrbei Palace.
Edition #5
The 2019 edition of Spotlight, held under the theme EuropeLights, marked Romania’s Presidency of the Council of the EU and the opening of the Romania–France Season in Bucharest, bringing to Calea Victoriei and the city center spectacular installations and video mappings created by international artists, under the artistic direction of Jean-François Zurawik, Director of Fête des Lumières Lyon.
Edition #6
In 2022, Spotlight returned to Bucharest with an edition entirely dedicated to Romanian artists. That year’s theme, Made in RO, highlighted the talent of local creators, inviting them to reimagine Bucharest through new media and transform the city into an interactive space where technology meets art.
Edition #7
In 2023, Spotlight joined the international network The International Light Festivals Organisation (ILO) and introduced the theme Geometry of the City, transforming Bucharest into a geometric fantasy of lights, projections, and interactive installations. The edition featured premieres such as Roman Tolici’s video mapping on the façade of the InterContinental Athénée Palace Hotel and a special show dedicated to the Madrigal Choir on the Odeon Theatre.
Edition #8
In 2024, Spotlight celebrated the theme Bucharest 565. Urban Connections, transforming Calea Victoriei into a spectacular route of light and technology, with installations by both international and Romanian artists. With multisensory projections and over 100,000 visitors, the festival strengthened its role as a cultural landmark and as a member of the global network The International Light Festivals Organisation.
The most popular new media festival in the capital, it attracts over 300,000 visitors annually and transforms the city into a meeting place for visual arts and technology enthusiasts, through multimedia projects at the intersection of art, design and technology. Since 2023, the festival is a member of The International Light Festivals Organization, one of the largest organizations dedicated to light festivals worldwide.