Lueurs de Mantes

Lueurs de Mantes: When Light Reinvents the City Center

Since 2024, Lueurs de Mantes has become the unmissable winter event in Mantes-la-Jolie and the northern Yvelines. For nearly three weeks, from mid-January to early February, the city center transforms at nightfall into a free, open-air light art trail, where monumental installations interact with Mantes' architecture and heritage.

A Poetic Journey Between Nature and Technology

The scenography of Lueurs de Mantes is based on a dialogue between nature and technology. The installations — luminous sculptures, projections, interactive works — occupy the recently renovated squares and streets of the city center, notably Place Saint-Maclou and Place du Marché-au-Blé, creating a walking route of about an hour.

Each edition features a different poetic theme. The 2026 edition, titled “a luminous reverie where nature and technology brush against each other, oppose each other, then respond to each other”, showcased eight original installations: Odonata, Cloud Memory, Lithosphère, Lunalóon, Vers l'Aube, Jardin de Lumière, Aquatics, and Phénix. Each invites visitors to pause, marvel, and reflect on our relationship with the living and the digital.

A Luminous Drone Show Over the Seine

One of the highlights of each edition is the Drone Light Show, an aerial performance of choreographed luminous drones over the banks of the Seine. This technological ballet, offered in the evening, provides a spectacular and unifying moment, attracting family audiences from all over the Île-de-France region.

Candlelit Concerts and Activities

Lueurs de Mantes is not limited to visual installations. Candlelit Concerts are scheduled on Friday evenings, featuring musical performances in line with the luminous atmosphere of the trail. Creative workshops, called Les Scintillons, allow children to create their own luminous objects, while guided tours of the trail are offered to deepen the discovery of the works and artists.

A Lever for Urban Revitalization

Beyond its artistic dimension, Lueurs de Mantes is a true lever for revitalizing the city center. By attracting thousands of visitors each evening in the middle of winter, the event contributes to the commercial animation and attractiveness of the historic heart of Mantes-la-Jolie. Supported by the City and its partners, it is part of a strategy to enhance heritage and public space through culture and innovation.