Europe's largest light festival marks end to pandemic darkness in Copenhagen

The annual Copenhagen Light Festival brings a welcome end to Nordic winter darkness with the most light installations in Europe. The works displayed by artists from all over the world comment on the coronavirus pandemic and our human impact on nature, such as French artist Francois Gauriaud's "Phenix," an 11-metre-long bird that illuminates the sky accompanied by birdsong, and "A Dozen Sun", a yellow globe made from recycled plastic. The festival organisers expect to attract larger crowds than last year, when the pandemic restricted people's ability to attend the well-loved and highly anticipated event. This year, the installations will be turned on in the morning as well as after sunset to light the way for commuters on their way to work. “It does something to your heart. It opens your mind, creating optimism," says a resident attending the festival on its opening day.