Vasarely’s spirit and the limits of imagination: a flood of jubilee light envelops Pécs at the 10th Zsolnay Light Festival Ten years after the streets of Pécs first shone with the magic of contemporary light art, the 10th anniversary edition of the Zsolnay Light Festival is bigger and more spectacular than ever: over four nights between July 2nd and 5th, it will bathe the city in a flood of light with more than 30 works.
In addition, its theme pays tribute to Victor Vasarely, a world-famous native of Pécs, as part of the Vasarely Memorial Year. The event has now grown into one of the most spectacular city festivals in Europe, with more than a hundred thousand visitors annually.
The 2026 anniversary edition is intertwined with two exceptional anniversaries:
Commemorate the 120th anniversary of the birth of Victor Vasarely, a native of Pécs and the father of optical art, and the Vasarely Museum in Pécs celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
The theme of the Light Festival this year is therefore Vasarely’s PLASTI-CITÉ // COLORFUL CITY concept – which invites you into the world of optical illusions, to the sensory experience of movement, space and light.
The Cathedral facade is the festival’s biggest canvas …
The most anticipated event of the festival, the Zsolnay Light Art Video Mapping Competition, turns the facade of the Pécs Cathedral into a light canvas every evening. This year, Italian, Chinese and Bulgarian artists will compete for the audience’s votes – their works will be imbued with a visual world drawing from Vasarely’s op-art heritage. In addition to the competition, a special work will also debut: as part of the Irish focus program, the Kiégő Izzók team will pay homage to the oeuvre of Martyn Ferenc with a projection.
The Path of Light: more than 30 stops at the limits of imagination which forms the backbone of the festival, will allow visitors to discover the works of domestic and international light artists at 15 downtown and 19 Zsolnay Quarter-surrounding locations.
Get your feathers hats and fancy cloths to join the Back to the Hippie era of the 70s!
On Theater Square, New York’s Liquid Light Lab evokes the legendary analog light shows of the era.
Imagine the colors of Kandinsky, the vibrations of Jimi Hendrix and early Pink Floyd concerts – this floating, sensual universe will inhale visitors for four evenings.
The Light Path station on Theater Square is part of the USA250 commemorations. The atmosphere is turned up to the maximum by DJs from Tilos Radio: this is not just a projection, but a shared, psychedelic journey into the realm of lights. – According to Vasarely’s credo, art is a common language, which should leave the exhibition spaces and become a part of everyday life. The concept of the Path of Light also resonates with this: it elevates the urban space into an open gallery, where through interactive installations visitors themselves become part of the creative process and the community experience.
The public programs and light works in the city center are free to visit. The closed spaces and the special installations in the Zsolnay Quarter and the Kodály Center can be visited with the Light Festival MAX wristband, which can be purchased on thr SPOT from May 7th.
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