06.11
30.12.2025

05.11 - 30.12.26

Zurich

Christmas in Zurich 2026

Experience a place full of light, music, magic and encounters in the Christmas season

Connecting Festive Moments

For the 9th time the ILLUMINARIUM opens its doors in the courtyard of the Landesmuseum Zürich.
From 5 pm on, a magical winter wonderland awaits you with Christmas delights, atmospheric moments and immersive experiences for young and old alike.

Enjoy fondue, winter cocktails, upbeat dance music and culinary highlights at the beautifully lit indoor and outdoor bars. Three light shows transform the courtyard into the canvas for Switzerland's most impressive immersive shows:
YUKI'S ARCTIC CHRISTMAS, YUKI'S PIXEL ZOO JUNGLE and DIGITAL ART SHOW ART x ELECTRONICA.

Christmas returns to the National Museum zurich

In the freely accessible front area of the courtyard, visitors can indulge in culinary delights. Before, after and during the light shows, you can warm up, recharge, meet friends or dive further into the world of illumination to the sound of wintry beats. Hot drinks, a wide selection of winter snacks, a fondue chalet and the club transform the courtyard into a festival for all the senses. You can book your cozy fondue experience online.

ZÜRICH

05.11 - 30.12.26

PROGRAM
Winter 2026

24.12 AND 25.12 CLOSED

5 - 8 pm
every 45 minutes

YUKI'S ARCTIC CHRISTMAS

Daily
5 to 5:45 PM &
6:30 – 7:15 PM

YUKI'S PIXEL ZOO JUNGLE

Daily
5:45 bis 6:30 PM &
7:15 - 8 PM

From November 5–15, the first shows start about 5–10 minutes later due to twilight. The exact time is on your ticket. Please arrive 15 minutes beforehand.

TICKETS
Yuki Show

Every evening from 5:00 PM. Until 8:00 PM, Yuki and her wonderfully spectacular friends will delight young and old with their new instrumental adventure.

This year, two magical adventures with Yuki await young and old — full of wonder, magical lights and winter surprises.
YUKI'S ARCTIC CHRISTMAS
This year, the light show takes you far up north. Conductor Yuki and her spectacularly spooky friends celebrate an Arctic Christmas and, along the way, uncover an mysteriously beautiful secret. Join them on an adventure-filled journey through sparkling ice, dancing lights, and Christmas wonders. A festive crowd-favorite that already lit up faces back in 2021.
YUKI'S PIXEL ZOO JUNGLE
Following Yuki's Pixel Zoo Ocean comes the second format for young and old from the fascinating world of animals – this time as a full Christmas experience. Yuki's Pixel Zoo Jungle was created together with Zoo Zürich and offers the whole family entertainment and learning in an entirely new way.

Let Yuki and her friends take you on an immersive journey to the most remote corners of the deepest jungle – from the rainforests of the Congo and the Amazon all the way to Indonesia. Meet gorillas, jaguars, sloths, and shimmering macaws, and discover in a playful way the secrets of the fascinating biodiversity of the animal and plant kingdoms.

And because it's Christmas, the jungle glows more festively than ever this year: it transforms into a warm, festive sea of light where Christmas magic and jungle adventure merge into one. This audiovisual experience by the artist collective PROJEKTIL lets you feel the great interconnections of nature – and our impact on its treasures – up close. A magical moment for the whole family, in the most wonderful time of the year.

Would you like to support the nature conservation project in Sumatra run by our partner Zoo Zürich? Your donation helps provide medical care for injured and orphaned orangutans and return them to the wild. Learn more about the conservation project here.
TICKETS
5 pm - midnight
Music from 5 pm. DJs from 7 pm.

Fans of pre-Christmas aperitifs and nightcap seekers will find space in the ILLUMINARIUM indoor and outdoor bars, rain or shine.

ILLU.DANCE

Every evening from 5:00 PM. Until 8:00 PM, Yuki and her wonderfully spectacular friends will delight young and old with their new instrumental adventure.

National and international DJs provide the perfect beats, creating a lively atmosphere and an after-work vibe every day from 7 pm to midnight. Access to this part of the light festival is free of charge.

Age limit: 21 and over. Thursday to Saturday from 8:00 pm
8 pm - 10 pm
every 30 minutes

In their new digital art show Art x Electronica, the artist collective PROJEKTIL stages the art of Paul Klee in a completely new way.

TICKETS
ART x Electronica

Starting at 8:00 PM, our captivating mapping show takes visitors on a journey through the vastness of the cosmos alongside astronauts Bob and Paul.

Where painting meets electronic beats: in this digital art show, the abstract, geometric works of the famous Swiss artist Paul Klee come to life. Shapes begin to dance, colors pulse to the beat, and the figures from his paintings rise gigantically from the canvas, coming alive and taking over the façades of the courtyard. The rhythmic, almost musical structure of his works merges with driving electronic sounds.

The show plays with your perception: playful illusions blur the boundaries between seeing and dreaming. Did the façade really move, or was it just a trick of the senses? A rush of color, light, and rhythm that leaves you no longer quite trusting your own eyes.

The show was tailored specifically to the courtyard of the Landesmuseum: video mapping directly onto the historic architecture, lasers, and disco balls transform the entire space into a glowing, all-encompassing experience. Here, art, sound, light, and architecture merge into a single pulsing movement.

We recommend a minimum age of 10 years.
TICKETS
5 - 11 pm
CLOSED ON DECEMBER 24 AND 25

The fondue chalet can accommodate up to 220 people and invites you to enjoy cozy evenings, thanks to excellent cuisine and carefully curated decorations.

Reservations are recommended.

NO OUTDOOR RESERVATIONS
Unfortunately, we do not accept outdoor reservations — only reservations in our fondue chalet.

The taste of Christmas

The Fondue Chalet accommodates up to 130 people and invites you to long, cozy evenings with its excellent cuisine and elaborate decorations.

Whether it's an intimate evening for two, a night out with friends, or a lively Christmas dinner: the new, two-story fondue chalet at ILLUMINARIUM has something for everyone. Across two floors, even more space awaits you for cozy hours together.

For a reservation in the chalet, from 6 people, you'll need a credit card / Twint. Please note that in the case of a no-show or cancellation less than 24 hours before your reservation start time, we must charge CHF 30 per person.

The ILLUMINARIUM fondue chalet can be reserved for groups of 21 to 220 people.

For any questions about group reservations, we're happy to help by email: gastro@illuminarium.ch
Our offer for groups: group menu

Reservations up to 20 people

Group reservations from 21 people

5 - 11 pm

The numerous seating and standing areas in the courtyard of the National Museum Zurich offer plenty of space to eat and drink in peace. Access to this part of the light festival is free of charge.

food corner

Delicacies for young and old at the Food Festival in the freely accessible part of the National Museum Zurich.

When it comes to cuisine, visitors can enjoy a variety of food stalls gathered around cozy fire pits: cotton candy, waffles, tacos, pizza, alpine macarons, marroni, curries, and other delicacies invite guests to grab a quick snack or enjoy a full meal.
Sunday 3 - 6 pm

The ILLUMINARIUM invites you to the happiest children's disco in Zurich every Sunday from 3 to 6 pm!

ILLU.KIDS

Disco for kids of all ages with Zurich's most kid-friendly DJs and other specials. Dance with us every Sunday from 3 pm to 5 pm.The Kids Disco is separate from the Yuki Show and free for everyone.

Every Sunday, our DJs provide real disco flair with a cross-generational music program. We combine music, movement, social interaction, and community to create a unique experience for the whole family — always colorful, funky, sparkling, and inclusive.

Refreshing drinks for all little dancers, popcorn, cotton candy, and colorful syrups are available. And Yuki will be there too, celebrating enthusiastically and making children’s eyes light up. The best part: admission is free!
HOW TO GET TO THE ILLUMINARIUM
Discover more
Dates and opening times
Discover more
The essentials at a glance
Discover more

iulluminarium map

SUSTAINABILITY
Yuki and her friends want to take responsibility behind the scenes as well. That's why we implement new measures every year to make our event even more sustainable. Here's a selection:

Light, electricity, and energy are topics we all have to engage with today and in the future. We take this responsibility seriously, which is why we began converting our entire world of lights to LED several years ago. This turns the sea of light into a spectacular experience that is, at the same time, as resource-efficient as possible.

We also live sustainability in the fondue chalet: thanks to its well-insulated construction and the natural warmth of our guests, energy consumption is kept as low as possible. The ventilation system ensures fresh air and a pleasant indoor climate.

In addition, we implement the following measures:

- In our gastronomy, we choose our partners and suppliers with great care.
- Whenever possible, we work with Swiss producers and companies that pursue their own sustainability strategy.
- We focus on operating as energy-efficiently as possible and use modern technology in the kitchen. For example, we cook exclusively with induction cooktops.
- Whenever possible, we avoid environmentally harmful materials and do everything we can to prevent food waste and unnecessary waste.
- The ventilation systems are operated energy-efficiently, and the temperature in the exhibition spaces is deliberately kept slightly lower.
- Thanks to our central location right by Zürich's main train station, we encourage our guests to travel by public transport.

TICKETS AVAILABLE

Access to the ILLUMINARIUM is free.
Tickets for the light shows can be purchased here.

buy your tickets

produced by

venue

partner