Macao Light Festival 2017 – A Fairyland of Lights

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If you’re looking for a different take on the best places to visit in Macau, plan your trip around a festival. December is a festive month to visit Macao and a special time to see Macao’s historical landmarks. From the steps of the iconic Ruins of St Paul’s to the cobblestone paths near the Taipa Houses Museum, in Taipa Village, the former Portuguese enclave glitters during the Macau Light Festival.

Macau Light Festival

Macau Light Festival
St Anthony’s Church takes on a different “light” during the Macau Light Festival.
Macau Light Festival
Street scenes at the Macao Light Festival.

Amor Macau

Macau Light Festival
Macau Light Festival sights.
Macao Light Festival 2017
St Anthony’s Church like you’ve never seen before during the Macau Light Festival
Macao launches light festival to attract tourists
Amor Macau is a family-friendly festival.

This year’s theme of the Macau Light Festival is Amor Macau, a sparkling kaleidoscope of mesmerising light installations designed around the theme of love and dreams.

The Macau Light Festival is a family festival that is enchanting visitors of all ages.

Macao's tourist sites and festivals

The Macao Light Festival is an innovative program of projection mapping and multicoloured light installations involving more than 100 transmedia creators from Macao.

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Journey of Lights promises a dazzling
St Lazarus Church is awash with a rainbow of colours.

These light artists have created an impressive display along with interactive games at several locations around the UNESCO World Heritage-listed centre.

Treasure of Light

The Macau Light Festival is one of the best times of the year to visit Macao, as these bright displays bring history to life.

A fairyland of lights

The historic areas of Macao are a fairyland of enchanting lights that will surely capture your imagination as you wander around.

Macau Light Festival
The steps near Taipa Houses Museum light up during the Macao Light Festival.
Nam Van Bus stop
Nam Van Bus stop at Nam Van Lake at the Macau Light Festival

Also on the programme are an exhibition of light art while outdoor concerts at Anim’ Art Nam Van Lake (on Saturday nights), an outdoor movie and a special Light Festival dinner adds to the celebrations.

Discover Macau Light Festival

The Macao Light Festival 2017 is the third Macau Light Festival and is an initiative of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO).

When to go ?

The Macao Light Festival is on each December. Here’s the programme for this year’s festival. The lights come on daily between 7pm and 10 pm.

Best spots to see lights during the Macau Light Festival?

The main projection mapping experiences are at the Ruins of St Paul’s, St Lazarus Church and St Anthony’s Church.

Where to find interactive games?

Head to the Ruins of St Paul’s and St Lazarus Church.

Other places to see light installations?

Senado Square, Calçada da Igreja de S. Lázaro and Albergue SCM, Anim’Arte NAM VAN, the Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre, Taipa Houses and Camoes Garden.

Here’s a post with more festivals in Macao and a great list of shiny new Macau hotels to check into.

If you’re planning on visiting with the family, here are some things to do with kids in Macao and a three-day Macau itinerary suitable for families.

Macao Light Festival Long Pin

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Christina Pfeiffer
Christina Pfeiffer is a writer, photographer and video blogger based in Queensland, Australia. She has lived in three continents and her career as a travel journalist has taken her to all seven continents. Since 2003, she has contributed travel stories and photographs to mainstream media in Australia and around the world such as the Sydney Morning Herald, CNN Traveller, The Australian and the South China Morning Post. She has won many travel writing awards and is a full member of the Australian Society of Travel Writers.