‘Light up Macao’ to dazzle city until Chinese New Year

The 2023 local light festival – Light up Macao – will commence Dec. 2 (Saturday), the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) announced last Friday.

This year’s light festival will be the longest ever, being staged from Dec. 2, 2023 to Feb. 25, 2024. This extended festival will blend celebrations for Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year.

Themed ‘Dazzling Wonderland,’ the festival will present a variety of colorful light installations, interactive installations, and shows in the Peninsula as well as the islands of Taipa and Coloane.

The MGTO said the event “is set to propel the community tourism and nighttime economy forward.”

At Friday’s press conference, the director of the MGTO, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, noted the festival will not only span a series of major festivities such as the Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region, the Winter Solstice, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and Chinese New Year, but will also coincide with other festivities such as Valentine’s Day, Renri (The Day of All Humans) and the Chinese Lantern Festival.

The festival’s goal is also to encourage visitors to explore different areas of the city and provide local SMEs with increased business opportunities.

The festival includes 36 light installations, 20 interactive installations and 3 mapping show venues.

The installations will be active from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. every night during the event.