Lights in Alingsas

The festival began in 1999 as a workshop for lighting designers and has run each autumn since, which is the part that distinguishes it from a Christmas light display: teams of students and professionals work through a week under experienced designers, each given a site in the town - a park, a bridge, a courtyard, a stretch of water - and the results stay up for about a month of evenings. Alingsas is a small wooden town north-east of Gothenburg, so the installations sit against timber facades and dark water rather than in a fairground. A marked route links them, with guided walks and a cafe programme alongside.

What to look for

• Sites lit by designers - parks, bridges, courtyards, water.
• A working masterclass - students under professionals each year.
• A wooden town as the backdrop - not a fairground setting.
• A marked walking route - linking the installations.

When to go

Late September to October, after dark. An evening.

Practical notes

It runs for about a month only and dates change each year. Weekends are crowded and the route is slow. It is cold and often wet by then. Some installations are stronger than others.

Nearby

Gothenburg is south-west; Vattern and Hjo are east.