A glowing spectacle at 10th Jerusalem Light Festival

A forest of illumination and do-it-yourself light graffiti are just two of the 35 exhibits at the Old City event, open through July 5

Jaffa Gate was filled Saturday night for the third night of the annual Jerusalem Light Festival, with bright welcome messages displayed on the ancient walls and lasers flashing in the dark sky.

There are more than 35 light installations in this year’s festival, the city’s tenth, which is in place until Thursday, July 5, and set throughout the Old City along four connecting routes, with performers and musicians entertaining the crowds along the paths, from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m. each night.

Highlights include alternating projections on Damascus Gate designed by international artists, illuminating lights in Zedekiah’s Cave, a graffiti exhibit with paint brushes used to draw on an LED screen, and a forest of thousands of shining branches.

This year’s theme was togetherness, said artistic director Gaston Zahr, with lights displayed in all quarters of the Old City.

“It brings people together and to areas of the Old City they may not normally visit,” said Zahr.

Still, he warned that it is nearly impossible to get through all of the festival in one night.

This year’s light festival includes several notable artists, who joined the outdoors spectacle.

Berlin artist Phillip Geist, who designed an interactive light projection onto Rothschild House in the Jewish Quarter, said he was especially excited to come to Jerusalem, because of its unique and inspiring history.