Amsterdam Light Festival Edition 16: Worldwide Light Art Open Call Closes December 7
Amsterdam Light Festival Edition 16 (2027–28) invites light-art proposals worldwide by December 7, 2026 23:59 CET. General international call differs from Netherlands-only Amarte.
Ideas that illuminate Amsterdam's canals
Amsterdam Light Festival invites artists and creative professionals worldwide to propose light artworks for Edition 16, planned for winter 2027–28. The festival seeks works capable of engaging viewers along Amsterdam’s canals. Proposals for new commissions are especially welcome, but the organizer also considers existing works if they fit the site and curatorial direction.
Deadline and required submission process
The international Open Call closes December 7, 2026 at 23:59 Central European Time. Before submitting, artists must download the official Artist Briefing. This briefing links to the required submission template and the submission portal and contains practical requirements, selection criteria and further dates. The portal, not a simple email to the festival, is the intended route.
Do not confuse two separate application paths
The site advertises a general international Open Call and an “Open Call X Amarte.” The general pathway invites creatives from around the world. The Amarte-supported pathway, however, is specifically restricted to practitioners based in the Netherlands who are new to light art and focuses on a new work for walking visitors. Choosing the wrong route may make an otherwise strong international application ineligible.
What kinds of work fit?
Concepts may combine light, sculpture, public-space intervention, technology and installation design. Because the work will be shown in busy outdoor canal-side settings, applicants should consider feasibility, weather resistance, installation logistics, visitor interaction and safety. Budgets and production obligations must be checked against the official briefing rather than guessed.
About the festival
Amsterdam Light Festival is an annual public light-art event that animates the city's canal landscape and works with international creators. The 2027–28 open call is for its sixteenth edition. Information checked October 22, 2026.