The beautiful traditional holiday light display “Lucy”, which spans the entire length (1.4 km) of the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich during the holiday season, will be switched on Thursday, November 19, 2026, at 18:00. This lovely tradition, the yearly switching on the holiday lights, traditionally takes place precisely at 18:00 and is a cause for celebration as it kicks off the holiday season.
It’s definitely worth a trip into the city to take in the sparkling, starlit “Lucy” over the Bahnhofstrasse. Afterwards, to make it worth your while, the stores in Zurich downtown will remain open for night shopping until 22:00.
People from all over Switzerland flock to Zurich to watch this magical moment. The crowds can be quite overwhelming, especially at the top of the Bahnhofstrasse. Entering the Bahnhofstrasse from, for example, Bürkliplatz or Fraumünsterplatz can make navigating the excitement a bit more manageable.
A bit of trivia: the City of Zurich began the traditional holiday light display “Weihnachtsbeleuchtung” on the Bahnhofstrasse in 1971. “Lucy” has been lighting up the skies of Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse during the holiday season since 2010. “Lucy” is over one kilometer long and is made up of 12,000 crystals and twice as many lights.
https://www.zuerich.com/en/inform-plan/seasons-and-climate/christmas-in-zurich/christmas-lighting
by Judith Guyer-Almstadt
