Discover all the activities available in the city between December 4 and 7.
The Path of Light (Valon polku) festival will once again brighten up the dark evenings from December 4-7. Now in its fifth edition, this international light event has become a major success, attracting around 200,000 visitors to the streets each year.
This year, the Path of Light route will guide visitors from Turku Cathedral through the Market Square all the way to the harbor cranes, featuring twelve light installations along the way. All installations can be viewed from Thursday to Sunday, December 4-7, between 4 PM and 9 PM, and additionally on Sunday morning, December 7, from 8 AM to 10 AM.
"This year’s selection includes very different yet complementary works. There’s playfulness, power, and minimalism. The riverside area beautifully ties everything together and provides a stunning setting for the event," says Kari Kola, the festival’s Artistic Director.
Along the route, visitors can also enjoy side programs and a rich selection of food and drink. For the first time, the lighting installations can also be admired early in the morning during "Morning of Light", held on Sunday, December 7, from 8 AM to 10 AM.
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"In addition to admiring the lights, visitors can stop for a morning coffee or enjoy a Path of Light brunch at restaurants opening their doors early for morning visitors," says the event’s producer Minna Heiniö.
For night owls, the Lightfest Run offers the brightest sports event of the year, illuminating the Aura River banks on the eve of Finland’s Independence Day, December 5. The run starts from Turku Cathedral at 10 PM, covering a seven-kilometer route along the river to Turku Castle and back. Participants can join either running or walking.
Turku as a source of inspiration for light artists
Dutch artist Bas Kemper drew inspiration for his piece from the reflections of the Aura River and the area’s maritime industrial heritage. His work "Shifting Cranes", installed on the harbor cranes at the river’s mouth, is a unique light art creation designed specifically for Turku.
Another specially commissioned work can be found next to the funicular, in Kakola Park. Antti Kulmala’s Serpentine piece uses light to trace the shapes of the historic serpentine road cutting through Kakola’s steep hillside. From Kakola Park, the route continues toward Hotel Kakola, featuring special lighting designed by Rajupaja.
Culture Factory Manilla contributes with Juha Rouhikoski’s piece Swan Song, inspired by Finnish folklore and the myth of the Swan of Tuonela. The work draws from both the Kalevala and Jean Sibelius’s composition of the same name. Swan Song is an augmented reality artwork, viewable through the TARINA mobile app.
The aesthetics of abundance and simplicity
This year’s largest installation comes from France’s Paradedesign. Artist Ghislaine Coudert’s creation consists of three distinct works. Ephemeral Garden, a poetic fairytale world, comes to life as evening falls, when darkness reveals tall, dreamlike light sculptures. Giant jellyfish will guard the riverbanks, while in Cathedral Park, the Labyrinth of Light invites visitors to wander into the heart of an underwater light forest.
Contrasting these vivid and colorful works are pieces grounded in minimalist aesthetics. In German artist Martin Hesselmeier’s light sculpture Pendule lunaire, a pendulum-like light shows viewers how long it takes for light to travel from Earth to the Moon and back. Swedish artist Aleksandra Stratimirovic’s Hope installation features a quote by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, raising timely questions about the senselessness of war. According to the artist, the work expresses a shared human longing for justice, peace, and hope.
This year, the festival’s most distant artist guests come from Japan. The collectives SPEKTRA and ETERNAL Art Space present Emmisivescapes, a sound and light installation set up in Barker Park. The artwork can be admired from the outside, but visitors can also walk inside the installation.
The Path of Light route will also pass through Market Square, where visitors can ride a light carousel. Austrian artist David Rami’s Lotus Pods consists of three capsule-shaped light sculptures, each accommodating up to four people. The installation’s colors and sounds change interactively in response to participants’ movements.
Along the Aura River, Theatre Bridge will transform into the Opera Bridge, thanks to Turku City Theatre. The bridge’s themed lighting, inspired by the opera Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, was designed by Jani Uljas.
All Path of Light information will be updated on turku.fi/valonpolku. The event route, seasonal light locations, and participating restaurants and cafés will also be published on the Citynomadi map service under the route name Valon polku (Path of Light).