A Free Light Festival With Over 20 Installations Is Taking Over NYC’s Waterfront Park This September

Battery Park City’s newly reopened waterfront greenspace, Wagner Park, will transform into a glowing wonderland for Illumination NYC this September. Now in its fourth year, this event brings New York City’s premier light art festival to the public as a large-scale, free celebration that empowers visionary light artists. Illumination NYC is co-produced with the Battery Park City Authority and Free Radical Design Group. In previous years, the light festival has been held under the Kosciuszko Bridge, The World Trade Center Oculus and Belvedere Plaza in Battery Park City. 2025 marks the first year Illumination NYC will dazzle New Yorkers from Wagner Park—a 3.5 acre oasis that boasts one of the best views of the New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. Ron Dov, Executive Director & Founder of Illumination NYC, said > Wagner Park’s reopening is a milestone moment for New York City...We are thrilled to mark it with a festival that unites art, creativity, and community wonder on a scale only possible in this city. Illumination NYC will be a three-day event from Thursday, September 25th through Saturday, September 27th, 2025 from 6:30pm to 11:00pm. It is free and open to all ages , promising to be the “most ambitious festival to date.” Visitors will be blown away by more than 20 monumental light installations and unforgettable projection mapping across the newly reconstructed architecture of Wagner Park. Not to mention, there will be live DJs and performances , plus refreshments available for purchase. The festival will conclude with a silent disco on September 27th by QuietEvents. “Partnering with Illumination NYC allows us to welcome the public back in the most spectacular way possible, said Maril Ortiz, Director of Parks Programming at BPCA. “We are proud to see this beloved park transformed into a glowing canvas for creativity.” Illumination NYC encourages festival goers to come dressed in their “most creative, radiant light-inspired looks” to join the vibrant fusion of light, art and community. Don’t have anything ready to grab from your closet? Check out the Light Shop on-site to find something that catches your eye. How to attend 2025 Illumination NYC ----------------------------------- RSVP online to claim your spot at the festival. 🎟️ Admission is free to the public 📍Wagner Park, Manhattan 🗓️ Thursday, September 25th through Saturday, September 27th, 2025 from 6:30pm to 11:00pm Source: https://secretnyc.co/illumination-nyc-light-festival-wagner-park-2025/