2015 Fête des Lumières honours victims of Paris attacks

Instead of the usual light show, a candlelit tribute will be held in Lyon in December in memory of those who died in the Paris attacks

An annual treat for residents and visitors to Lyon, the Fête des Lumières will look very different in 2015 as the city officials have decided to use the event to pay tribute to the victims of the Paris attacks on Friday 13th November. Instead of the planned sound and light displays from 5-8 December 2015, Lyon will be lit up by candlelight as the residents of the town are invited to place lighted candles in their windows on 8 December in memory of the victims and as an act of solidarity with the French capital.

Lyon’s iconic buildings, including the Incity Tower, will also take part in the candlelight tribute. Some 200,000 candles have been given to schoolchildren and are being sold locally, with the proceeds donated to a charity for the victims of terrorism. City officials decided that, in light of the recent tragedy, the annual event should not take place in its usual form, but they were keen not to cancel it altogether as the Fête des Lumières is such an important event in Lyon. The programme of events originally planned for this year will now be pushed back to 2016.