On the morning of today (September 9), the Information Office of Shanghai Municipality held a press briefing. Wang Weiren, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Municipal Government introduced the details of the Second Shanghai International Light Festival. Zhang Lixin, deputy director of the Shanghai Landscaping and City Appearance Administrative Bureau, Lu Lin, deputy director of the Shanghai Administration of Sports, Deng Dawei, deputy chief Xuhui District, Zhu Zhongwei, deputy chief of Qingpu District and Wang Jianer, vice president of Shanghai Media Group, attended the press briefing and answered questions from reporters.The Shanghai International Light Festival is a flagship public event at the municipal level, showcasing the city’s distinctive style and contemporary culture. It serves as a vital platform linking commerce, tourism, culture, art, and exhibitions.The second edition of the festival will run from September 19 to October 18 under the theme “Light Up Shanghai.” It seeks to activate urban spaces, highlight the city’s vitality, stimulate commercial activity, celebrate cultural expression, and embody Shanghai’s spirit through the art of light. This year’s program spans one main venue and 16 sub-venues, featuring 177 themed events that together offer an immersive sensory experience for residents, visitors, and tourists from around the world.This year’s light festival will showcase three main highlights.First, the main venue promises a multi-dimensional spectacle of light. From September 19 to 28, Xuhui’s West Bund will host simultaneous opening ceremonies across the main and sub-venues, followed by projection shows, exhibitions, and seminars. The West Bund Dome Art Center will unveil its first-ever 3,000-square-meter glasses-free 3D dome projection, while the West Bund Grand Theater will stage an architectural projection show that transforms building contours into storytelling canvases. The festival also introduces “Little Spirit,” an AI-powered tour guide making its debut. Along the Riverside Show Belt, visitors can explore 218 works by light artists from 19 countries, including six award-winning pieces displayed in prime riverside locations. In addition, the Shanghai Foundation Model Innovation Center (SMC) on the West Bund will host an international symposium on light art, addressing themes such as AI integration, the role of festivals in the night economy, and advances in green, low-carbon lighting technology, to explore new ideas and future directions.Second, each sub-venue will stage distinctive activities, showcasing the beauty of light through diverse themes. Sixteen sub-venues will tailor programs to local settings, using light as a brush to portray Shanghai’s cultural heritage and trace its extraordinary journey of development. In Xuhui District, the festival will extend from the main venue to the Xujiahui commercial hub, the Metaverse Street, the Hengshan Road-Fuxing Road Historical and Cultural Block, and beyond, offering a multi-dimensional light experience. Pudong New Area will dazzle with a “Twin Towers Laser Sky Show” at the ScienGate Towers and a “Skyline Spectrum Symphony” over Lujiazui. Huangpu District will blend a light night market, pet park, and skybridge market, enlivening city nightlife and boosting the night economy. Hongkou District will illuminate landmarks such as the Grand Halls and the Shanghai Postal Museum to narrate the story of the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek. Yangpu District will stage a fantastical show on Fuxing Island, fusing intangible cultural heritage with cyberpunk aesthetics. Putuo District will merge new business districts and historic buildings into a space where art, commerce, and ecology converge under light. Jing’an District will transform millennia-old murals into a “living history book,” presenting “Insight into Cave 220,” an immersive Dunhuang-inspired cultural experience. Changning District will unveil a “one core, two axes, three rings” light layout, highlighting artistic beauty, urban progress, and high-quality living beneath the Starry Dome. Baoshan District will stage “Centennial Wusong – Spring River Tides Meet the Sea,” a grand spectacle combining drones, fireworks, and water curtain projections. Minhang District will launch a seven-kilometer “Minhang Light Show Belt,” beginning at the historic Qibao Old Street. The Lin-gang Special Area will present “Never-Sleeping Lingang,” a vibrant program featuring a float parade, Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, international art festival, and a Dishui Lake cruise. Fengxian District will pair the Motocross World Championship with light displays, igniting the spirit of sport in dazzling form. Jinshan District will stage a wave-and-beach projection show alongside a musical fountain light show, illuminating the coastline and showcasing a dynamic lifestyle. Jiading District will join hands with the Nanxiang Ancient Town China-Chic Festival to present the fusion of light and humanistic heritage. Songjiang District will launch the “Little Spirit” root-seeking tour at Guangfulin Cultural Relics Park. Qingpu District will guide visitors with “five-colored fireflies,” unveiling a “splendid chapter of light that traces 6,000 years of Songze culture.Third, the festival will blend heritage with innovation to elevate the light experience from multiple dimensions. Building on the highlights of the inaugural edition, this year introduces both upgrades and new creations. For installations, the popular “Light Breathing Bulb” has been transformed into an 8-meter semi-transparent LED sculpture, while last year’s viral “Tyndall Light Effect” evolves into a “Fantasy Light Wonderland” with stronger technological impact and deeper emotional resonance. For interpretation, the West Bund Dome projection show expands from a 180-degree visual effect to a fully immersive 360-degree experience. The West Bund Grand Theater will go beyond last year’s flat projection at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, using the building’s angular contours to create a glasses-free 3D light performance. For interactivity, the festival has selected nine installations from over 20 global submissions, enhanced with advanced sensing, algorithms, and projection technologies. These works deliver highly responsive, real-time engagement, ensuring every visitor enjoys a more powerful and unforgettable journey through light.