Festivalisation in a new light: characteristics and objectives of light art festivals in Germany

As a nocturnal phenomenon in urban public space at the interface between the festivalisation of the city and the defamiliarisation of space at night through light art, light art festivals offer fruitful reference points for geographical perspectives. Although the night has become a research interest, light art festivals remain under-researched, despite the growing number of such festivals. This study is part of ongoing qualitative research and uses data from 25 light art festivals in Germany based on their spatial characteristics, implementation reasons and overall objectives. Furthermore, the article discusses the phenomenon of light art festivals in Germany within the international debate on the festivalisation and defamiliarisation of urban space. The findings indicate that the phenomenon is part of an ongoing process of festivalisation within urban marketing and policy strategies. This process is primarily being driven by small- and medium-sized towns with a spatial-structure growth tendency. Simultaneously, light art festivals in Germany are utilised as a medium for defamiliarising the perception of space, enhancing the image of the city through social media and addressing multiple challenges within the city centre.