What is the Avignon Light Show?

If you are staying in Provence or have ever visited this delightful region of France, you will likely have heard about the Avignon Light Show.

This stunning display takes place at the Palais des Papes which was the seat to the popes back in the 1300s. Despite heading back to roam later in the century, the popes left behind this glorious gothic building that serves as the perfect backdrop to a show that will delight the senses.

Not only this, but the Avignon Light Show serves as a way to educate visitors and locals on the history of this magnificent building.

The Avignon Light Show lasts around 35 minutes and displays a series of 3D images that tell the story of the Palais des Papes. It’s by far one of the main attractions of visiting Avignon so if it’s on while you’re there (between August and October), we’d definitely recommend checking it out.

There is also the Helios Festival which takes place in Avignon throughout the month of August.

For this, the entire town is illuminated during the late evening across venues such as the Place Saint-Didier, Place du Petit Palais and Place de l’Horloge. There’s music, lights and an atmosphere that you’ll definitely want to soak up.

One of the greatest attractions of the Helios Festival are the immersive shows. If you want something that will stimulate all of your senses, this is the place to be.

What’s even more exciting is that the festival isn’t just some mindless event to fill the time. It is an homage to the sun which makes sense when you think about all those lights!

The Avignon Light Show, or Les Luminessences D’Avignon, is held every evening from mid-August to the beginning of October, in a 360° screening that lights up the medieval walls. Hundreds of thousands of spectators have already taken this journey back in time, and the success of the show, particularly with Anglophone visitors, has led to three shows a week being given in English.

Visiting the Avignon Light Show

Les Luminessences d’Avignon tells its story using cutting-edge sound and image technology, taking the viewer into a visual feast and narrative at a sustained and exciting pace. Monumental images cloak the four wings of the palace and surround the audience in a poetic fusion of architecture, light and music.

Shows in English take place daily, when the rich voices of theatre actors provide the depth and richness of the original French language show.

Created by Bruno Seillier, creator of La Nuit aux Invalides in Paris, Les Luminessences d’Avignon has been designed for all ages and each time you see it, it brings something new.

Since 1947, the Palais des Papes has hosted the annual Festival d’Avignon, an important cultural event. Then in 2013, a new summer show was launched, a Son et lumière spectacle – the Avignon Light Show – to rival those of Amiens and Le Mans.

Called Les Luminessences d’Avignon, this is a remarkable light show that reviews the dramatic history of the Avignon Popes and the central role of the Palace.