Overview For Eiffel Tower Light Show

Eiffel Tower lights glow up within 10 minutes of getting dark in the evening. They also change from the usual golden glittery color to different colors to represent several occasions. The glow becomes extra spectacular, and some fireworks accompany it on occasions like New Year's Eve or Bastille Day. Breast Cancer Awareness Month experiences a pink hue to the Eiffel Tower lights. Apart from this lighting, a beacon located at the top of the tower also lights up at dusk. The aesthetic lights also help tourists to be able to see routes when it gets dark.

A night in 1889 witnessed the inauguration of the light show when the authorities in Paris installed 10000 gas lights along with two large projectors on the top floor of the Eiffel tower. However, the method was too costly, and a lighting engineer designed 336 projectors that lit up the monument from the bottom, saving up to 300 kw of power. The special projectors illuminate from the foot of the tower and radiate out the light. Book Eiffel Tower tickets and watch the light show which occurs every evening for 5 minutes every hour until 1 AM. You can take a Seine River cruise and enjoy the light show on a clear night.

The Eiffel Tower Illuminations in History

  • Eiffel Tower at night is like a lighted paradise. It has represented many occasions and festivals in the past.
  • In 2008, Eiffel Tower sparkled with blue and yellow lights representing the European flag for the occasion of France assuming the European Presidency.
  • Eiffel Tower's 120th anniversary witnessed the light show every night for two consecutive months. On one of these nights, the Eiffel tower lights were a combination of vibrant colors from purple to red and blue, which moved up and down the tower in arty and hypnotic patterns.
  • In November 2015, Eiffel Tower changed its color to the French tricolor flag in remembrance of the victims of the terrorist attack.
  • In November 2016, the Eiffel Tower sparkle turned green in the hope of a sustainable future and to represent the new Paris Climate Agreement.
  • In support of the LGBTQ community and to pay homage to the victims of Orlando's nightclub shooting, the Eiffel Tower light show turned its colors to every shade of the rainbow.
  • Eiffel Tower light show celebrated the tower's 130th anniversary by producing a 12-minutes laser show recapping its history in May 2019.

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Everything You Need to Know About the Eiffel Tower at Night

The Eiffel Tower, often called the Iron Lady of France, is one of the seven wonders of the world. At night you would be able to witness it with a completely different look at the Eiffel Tower lights time. With the sunset, it gets lightened up, shines, sparkles, and can be seen from dozens of miles away.

Eiffel Tower Night
The Tower’s Lights Sparkle

In December 1985, the Eiffel Tower was first donned with her golden raiment. The 336 yellow-orange spotlights are integrated into the structure to serve two purposes- to highlight the elegant structure of the Eiffel tower and for its safe nighttime operation. With the help of nightfall sensors, the projectors automatically light up the monument from the inside out and mark the start of the Eiffel Tower light show. The sparkling lights are superimposed with the golden lights for 5 minutes at the beginning of each hour till 1 AM.

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Eiffel Tower Beacon
The Eiffel Tower’s Beacon

As a tourist, you might have questions regarding the presence of a beacon in the Eiffel Tower. The reason behind its presence is that in 1889, Gustave Eiffel, the engineer who built the Eiffel Tower, installed spotlights to illuminate different monuments of Paris. In 1947, the beacon became very useful for air navigation as it offered a wider geographical coverage and better visibility. Today it has become a symbolic and universal landmark.The beacon rang first in 2000, where two beams are composed of 4 motorized spotlights with 50 miles, and twice more than the Paris ring road.

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Experience Eiffel Tower at Night
Experience the Eiffel Tower at Night

You can easily experience the beauty of the Eiffel Tower at night time. The monument is open in the evening during some specific periods, including summer, weekends, and holidays. If you visit the place in the evening at the Eiffel Tower lights time, you will get a completely different experience than during the day hours. As you climb the stairs of the Eiffel Tower, you will love the ambiance, and the view from the summit will become one of your most beautiful memories for the rest of your life.

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Popular Light Show Events

Eiffel Tower Night
The 130th Anniversary Light Shows of The Eiffel Tower

The 2019 lightshow Eiffel Tower was an exceptionally designed event to celebrate 130 years of its opening to the public. The Eiffel tower offered three consecutive evenings for the Parisian audience a truly unique light all across the state. It also represented a 12-minutes laser show recapitulating its history and significance.

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View of Eiffel Tower at Night
A Very Special Light Show for Nuit Blanche 2018

On October 7 and 8, 2018, an original light show organized by ZEVS brought the Eiffel Tower to life for the Ville de Paris’ Nuit Blanche 2018. “Eiffel Phoenix: the obscure clarity that falls from the stars" was the name of the show. From midnight to 7 AM, people could see the lights fall one by one in the reverse order in which the engineers built it.

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Eiffel Tower at Night
Fireworks Display on July 14

Every year on July 14, the annual celebrations of “Bastille Day” for Parisians, those living in le-de-France, and visitors to the City of Lights take place with a display of Eiffel Tower fireworks. The fireworks began at 11 PM, and a French TV channel named France Television broadcasted the entire event.

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