Guide · Lyon · December 2026
Four nights of light shows, around two million visitors and a city centre closed to cars: the right hotel is the one you can walk back to. Here are the neighbourhoods that work, and five independent hotels to book direct.
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In short: for the Festival of Lights, stay in Vieux-Lyon, the old town at the foot of Fourvière hill and Saint-Jean cathedral, or on the Presqu'île, the peninsula between Place Bellecour and the Terreaux. You can do everything on foot, with no car and no packed metro. Central hotels fill up early: book now, preferably directly on the hotel's own website.
1 Le Phénix2 Collège Hotel3 Hôtel de l'Abbaye4 Globe et Cecil5 Hôtel des Artistes
A former Renaissance mansion on the banks of the Saône, at the foot of Fourvière. Rooms overlook the river or the rooftops of the old town, and there is covered parking (limited spaces), a rarity in the area.
A playful hotel decorated like an old-fashioned schoolhouse, in the heart of UNESCO-listed Vieux-Lyon. Some rooms have a balcony or terrace: ideal for seeing the candles in the windows on 8 December.
A former presbytery turned into a small boutique hotel, mixing design and family furniture. On the Presqu'île, between Bellecour and Perrache station, in the most peaceful part of the city centre.
A hotel that prides itself on its family spirit, a few steps from Place Bellecour. Elegant rooms and lounges: a practical base for taking in the light shows of the city centre one after another.
Opposite the Théâtre des Célestins, a quiet hotel full of character, with modern, individual rooms. Between Bellecour and the Saône riverbanks: you can walk back after the last show.
Since 1852, the people of Lyon have placed lumignons — small candles in glass jars — on their windowsills on the evening of 8 December, as a tribute to the Virgin Mary of Fourvière. This is where the festival comes from. That night, look up: the façades of the old town and the Presqu'île sparkle, window after window.
From Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December 2026, every evening from 7 pm to 11 pm, except Sunday 6 December (6 pm to 10 pm). Official dates from the City of Lyon.
Vieux-Lyon (the old town) and the Presqu'île (Bellecour, Célestins, Ainay, Terreaux). You can do everything on foot, without relying on crowded public transport.
As early as possible. Hotels in the city centre often fill up by the summer, and prices rise as December approaches.
No, the festival is free and takes place outdoors. Some sites may have security checks at the entrances.
It is not recommended: the city centre is closed to traffic in the evening. Use a park-and-ride on the outskirts, or choose a hotel with parking such as Le Phénix (limited spaces, to be booked).
