Favole di Luce 2026-2027: Gaeta Christmas Lights from 7 November to 10 January — Dates and Programme

Updated on 1 November 2026 with the official Favole di Luce programme and the Pizza & Birra Fest on 6-8 November, the same weekend as the switch-on.

The Gaeta Christmas lights 2026-2027, the Favole di Luce (Fables of Light), are lit from 7 November 2026 to 10 January 2027: 26 installations along a walking route that runs from La Piaja and Via Indipendenza to Corso Cavour, Piazza XIX Maggio and Piazza della Libertà, then along Lungomare Caboto to Medieval Gaeta. They are free to see, every evening. Here you will find everything you need to plan your evening: programme, map, parking, little light trains, where to eat and where to stay.

3D map of the lights → · The 26 installations → · Where to park → · Fountain show →

Favole di Luce 2026-2027: programme and dates

The lights are switched on from Saturday 7 November 2026 to Sunday 10 January 2027. Opening: Saturday 7 November 2026 at 16:00, from Piazza XIX Maggio to Piazza della Libertà.

Favole di Luce events

• 7 NovOpening of Favole di Luce 2026: «Caieta: Corpi di luce» by Mvula Sungani
• 26 DecKe Festa Christmas Edition in Gaeta: the Radio Kiss Kiss Italia party on 26 December
• 28 DecIbiza Live Time Christmas Edition in Gaeta: the Radio Ibiza party on 28 December
• 31 DecIbiza Live Time in Gaeta: the Radio Ibiza New Year’s Eve party at Molo Santa Maria

More events are added here as soon as they are officially announced.

Other events in Gaeta during the lights

Shows and events in town on the same evenings, outside the lights programme: prices and times are on each page.

• 6 Nov – 8 NovPizza & Birra Fest 2026 in Gaeta, on 6, 7 and 8 November
• 20 NovMassimo Lopez in Gaeta: His Show at Teatro Ariston
• 28 NovThe Nutcracker in Gaeta: Compagnia Almatanz Ballet on November 28, 2026
• 28 NovFuori Posto in Gaeta: «Tra pietra e mare. La memoria prende corpo» on 28 November
• 2 DecFuori Posto in Gaeta: «Cuna», Dance with Whispered Audio Description on December 2
• 7 DecEnzo Iacchetti in Gaeta with «Buongiorno, Ministro!»

Every weekend: parade, fountain, fireworks and music

Besides the lights, which are on every evening, the official programme has regular events for the whole season, from 7 November to 10 January:

• Saturdays and Sundays from 17:00: «Corso Cavour si illumina con Favole di Luce» (Corso Cavour lights up with Favole di Luce), with street artists, music and live performances; discounts and giveaways in the participating shops.
• Every Saturday at 18:15, and also on 8 December and 6 January: the Favole di Luce parade between Corso Cavour and the Fontana di San Francesco, staged by Centro del Movimento.
• Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays at 18:30: «L’incanto della Fontana di San Francesco» (The magic of the San Francesco fountain) and the fireworks display in Piazza della Libertà. Fountain times and tips →
• Weekends, public holidays and the days before them at 19:00, from 8 November to 6 January: live events in Piazza XIX Maggio.

On the evening of 31 December, from 23:30, Molo Santa Maria hosts Ibiza Live Time’s big New Year’s Eve party. Everything about the night: New Year’s Eve in Gaeta.

The organisers publish the full events calendar on the official Christmas lights website: we will add it here as soon as it is out.

The 26 installations of the Gaeta Christmas lights

As on the official map, the installations come in three kinds: light installations (in red), art lanterns (in green) and video projections on the facades (in orange). You walk the route in number order: it is about 5 kilometres, and seeing them all at a relaxed pace takes a couple of hours. From 10 to 13, Corso Cavour leads towards Piazzale Avir, then you head back towards the central squares and the seafront.

The list of the 26 installations, in route order

From La Piaja to Via Indipendenza, Piazza Capodanno and Via Buonomo

1. Acquario delle meraviglie (Aquarium of wonders) · La Piaja
2. Le palme della stella cometa (The palms of the comet star) · Lungomare Caboto
3. La slitta di Babbo Natale (Santa’s sleigh) · Villa delle Sirene
4. La Madonna nostra (Our Lady) · Via Indipendenza, church of Maria SS. di Porto Salvo
5. Porta dei sogni di Natale (Gate of Christmas dreams) · Piazza Mare all’Arco
6. Il regno del ghiaccio fiabesco (The fairy-tale ice kingdom) · Piazza Vincent Capodanno
7. Il cammino delle stelle cadenti (The path of shooting stars) · Via Indipendenza
8. L’ora del Natale (Christmas time) · Piazza Sapienza
9. Magia del Natale (Christmas magic) · Via Buonomo

Corso Cavour to Piazzale Avir

10. Cascate di luce (Cascades of light) · Corso Cavour
11. Sulle onde del Natale (On the waves of Christmas) · Corso Cavour
12. Babbo Natale in relax (Santa relaxing) · Corso Cavour
13. Il giardino delle lanterne d’Oriente (The garden of oriental lanterns) · Piazza dei Maestri Vetrai

The central squares: Viale Battaglione degli Alpini, Piazza XIX Maggio and Piazza della Libertà

14. Sussurri di luce tra gli alberi (Whispers of light among the trees) · Viale Battaglione degli Alpini
15. L’albero parlante (The talking tree) · Viale Battaglione degli Alpini
16. Il regno dei folletti luminosi (The kingdom of glowing elves) · Piazza Mons. Di Liegro
17. Babbo Natale e il segreto dell’oceano (Santa and the ocean’s secret) · Piazza XIX Maggio
18. Chiarori di luce e stelle (Glimmers of light and stars) · Piazza della Libertà

From Lungomare Caboto to Medieval Gaeta

19. Un selfie da favola con Babbo Natale (A fairy-tale selfie with Santa) · Lungomare Caboto
20. L’onda incantata di Babbo Natale (Santa’s enchanted wave) · Lungomare Caboto, between Largo Caserta and Viale degli Innamorati
21. Il viale dei baci scintillanti (The avenue of sparkling kisses) · Viale degli Innamorati
22. L’Annunziata, una meraviglia da scoprire (The Annunziata, a wonder to discover) · Lungomare Caboto, Annunziata complex
23. Il faro di Gaeta (The Gaeta lighthouse) · Lungomare Caboto, between Viale degli Innamorati and Villa Traniello
24. Il tempio di luce (The temple of light) · Tempio di San Francesco
25. Il giardino incantato delle meraviglie (The enchanted garden of wonders) · Villa Traniello
26. Il transatlantico delle stelle (The transatlantic liner of the stars) · Molo Santa Maria

Ferris wheel, skating rink and ice nativity scene

The official map also shows the Ferris wheel on Lungomare Caboto, the skating rink and the Favole di Luce Village between Piazza della Libertà and Piazza XIX Maggio, the ice nativity scene (in Italian) on Corso Cavour and two show areas, in Piazza XIX Maggio and in Medieval Gaeta. Times and prices for the wheel and the rink are not in the programme: we will add them as soon as they are announced.

The little light trains

The little light trains run along the route, with stops in Piazza XIX Maggio, on Lungomare Caboto and in Medieval Gaeta. The official times:

• 7 November to 13 December: Saturdays 15:00-23:00, Sundays 15:00-22:00; 4, 7 and 8 December 15:00-22:00.
• 17 December to 6 January: every day from 16:00; Saturdays 15:00-23:00, Sundays 15:00-22:00.
• Holidays: 24 December 15:00-20:00, 25 December 16:00-22:00, 31 December 15:00-20:00, 1 January 16:00-22:00, 6 January 16:00-22:00.
• Last weekend: Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 January 15:00-22:00.

The same weekend as the switch-on: Pizza & Birra Fest (6, 7 and 8 November)

On the weekend the Christmas lights are switched on in Gaeta there is also Pizza & Birra Fest: due to bad weather the 1 November evening was cancelled and the organisers doubled up, with three more evenings on Friday 6, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November 2026 in the former Avir glassworks car park, about 350 metres from Piazza XIX Maggio. On Saturday 7 you can watch the opening at 16:00 and then walk to the pizza village, with pizzerias and tiella makers from Gaeta, craft beer and pizza also gluten free. Free entry. Times and guests for the new evenings have not been announced yet: you will find them on the festival page as soon as they are out.

If you come by car: Piazzale Avir, the car park recommended for the Christmas lights, also hosts the festival village on those three days. Arrive early or use the other car parks in the guide to parking for the Christmas lights. The day-by-day programme of the first weekend is in what to do in Gaeta this weekend: 6–8 November.

How to get there and where to park

On Christmas lights weekends, tens of thousands of people come to see them: arriving prepared makes all the difference. The guidance on the official map:

• By car: park at Piazzale Avir. The car parks in Piazza della Libertà and Piazza XIX Maggio are closed from 7 November to 10 January. If you arrive early, Piazzale Caboto and Piazzale 5 Febbraio, towards Medieval Gaeta, are also an option. On Friday 6, Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November Piazzale Avir also hosts the Pizza & Birra Fest village: fewer spaces.
• By coach: parking in the «S. D’Acquisto» port area; free parking with a booking on the official Christmas lights website.
• By campervan: the Spaltoni area, at the foot of Monte Orlando, paid and without facilities.
• Disabled visitors: spaces at the Base Nautica «Flavio Gioia», with a disabled parking badge.
• ZTL (restricted traffic zone): vehicles can enter Medieval Gaeta only with a permit; Via Annunziata is closed every evening from 19:00. By bus from Formia: bus timetables for Gaeta (in Italian).

All the details, with rates and distances: where to park for the Gaeta Christmas lights.

Info points and the Golden Chapel

There are three official info points: Piazza XIX Maggio (Fridays 16:00-20:00, Saturdays and Sundays 10:00-12:00 and 16:00-20:00), Piazza Roma (Saturdays and Sundays 15:00-20:00) and Villa delle Sirene (Saturdays and Sundays, 16:00-20:00 in November, 15:00-20:00 in December). They are also open on special dates: 8, 24, 25, 26, 30 and 31 December; 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 10 January (on 24 and 31 December the afternoon opening ends at 18:00).

Every weekend you can pick up free tickets at the info points for the Golden Chapel (Cappella d’Oro) and the immersive rooms on Pope Pius IX in the SS. Annunziata monumental complex, while they last. In November and December the complex is open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-13:00, and in the afternoon Tuesday to Thursday 15:00-18:00 and Friday to Sunday 15:00-20:00. Information: Pro Loco Gaeta, info@prolocogaeta.it, tel. 320 038 0413.

Christmas markets in Gaeta 2026

The Christmas market returns with Favole di Luce in Piazza della Libertà, next to the Favole di Luce Village marked on the official map; the food stalls are on Lungomare Caboto, near Porta Carlo III, towards Medieval Gaeta. For the markets, the most convenient car park is Piazzale Avir.

Where to eat and stay near the Christmas lights

ScopriGaeta partner venues and places to stay that are open in winter too, with the straight-line distance from the nearest installation. Opening hours, menus and availability are on their pages.

Where to eat

Medieval Gaeta

• Kè Eat Gaeta, seafood restaurant · 150 m from installation 25
• Pizzeria del Porto di Carlo Avallone, tiella and pizza · 150 m from installation 26
• Bar Bazzanti, bar · 100 m from installation 25
• Lia’s Café, bar and breakfast · 100 m from installation 25

Lungomare Caboto

• Antica Pizzeria Ciro 1923, pizzeria on Molo Sant’Antonio · 100 m from installation 19
• Da Carrettella, pizza and fried food on Lungomare Caboto · 200 m from installation 1

Town centre and Corso Italia

• La Tana di Cagliostro, seafood restaurant · 50 m from installation 9
• Brio Bar, tiella, bar and gelato on Corso Italia · 50 m from installation 13

All venues: where to eat in Gaeta →

Where to stay

On the route, between Via Indipendenza and Piazza Capodanno

• Sapore di Mare al Borgo, B&B · 50 m from installation 6
• Casetta Velia, holiday flat · 50 m from installation 6
• Le Casette di PaMi, holiday homes · 50 m from installation 6
• The Sorabellas, holiday flat · 50 m from installation 4
• Il Borgo Di Ulisse, holiday flat · 50 m from installation 4

Medieval Gaeta

• Sapore di Mare al Duomo, B&B · 150 m from installation 26
• AltaMarea Gaeta, holiday flat · 100 m from installation 23

Corso Italia and Serapo, ten minutes on foot

• Sapore di Mare al Corso, B&B · 200 m from installation 12
• Il Bacio del Sole, holiday flat · 350 m from installation 12
• the Sapore di Mare, Sapore di Mare 2, Sapore di Mare nel Blu, Sapore di Mare Serapo and Sapore di Mare Riviera B&Bs

Outside the centre, by car: Grand Hotel Il Ninfeo and Aeneas’ Landing Resort, a hotel and a resort with restaurants on Via Flacca, about ten minutes away. For a Christmas present between one light and the next: Ninetyfear, vintage clothing, about 50 m from installation 11. All places to stay: where to stay in Gaeta → and B&Bs in Gaeta →

What the Gaeta Christmas lights looked like: photos and videos from 2025-2026

The installations change every year: these are our photos and videos of the 2025-2026 edition, the tenth.

Frequently asked questions about the Gaeta Christmas lights

When do the Gaeta Christmas lights start in 2026?

On Saturday 7 November 2026 at 16:00, with the opening event «Caieta: Corpi di luce» (Caieta: Bodies of Light), from Piazza XIX Maggio to Piazza della Libertà. The lights stay on until Sunday 10 January 2027.

How many installations are there, and where are they?

26, along a walking route: from La Piaja and Via Indipendenza to Corso Cavour, Piazza XIX Maggio and Piazza della Libertà, then Lungomare Caboto, the Annunziata, the Tempio di San Francesco and Medieval Gaeta, as far as Molo Santa Maria. They are all on the Christmas lights map.

How much does it cost to see the Gaeta Christmas lights? Do you have to pay?

Nothing: the Gaeta Christmas lights are free, and so are the fountain show and the events in the squares. You only pay for parking, if you park in the blue spaces.

What time do the Christmas lights come on?

On the first day, Saturday 7 November, the opening event starts at 16:00. The daily switch-on time has not been announced yet; in the 2025-2026 edition it was at sunset, around 17:00-17:30.

When is the Fontana di San Francesco show?

On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays at 18:30, in Piazza della Libertà, together with the fireworks display. On Saturdays at 18:15, before the fountain, the Favole di Luce parade goes by.

Is there a Christmas lights train?

Yes: the little light trains run along the route on Saturdays and Sundays from 7 November to 13 December, every day from 16:00 from 17 December to 6 January, and on the last weekend, 9 and 10 January.

Are there Christmas markets in Gaeta in 2026?

Yes: the Christmas market is in Piazza della Libertà and the food stalls are on Lungomare Caboto, near Porta Carlo III.

Where to park for the Christmas lights?

The official programme points cars to Piazzale Avir, coaches to the «S. D'Acquisto» port area, campervans to the Spaltoni area and disabled visitors to the Base Nautica «Flavio Gioia». The car parks in Piazza della Libertà and Piazza XIX Maggio are closed from 7 November to 10 January.

Is there a drone show at the Gaeta Christmas lights?

It is not in the official 2026-2027 programme. In 2025 the Christmas Drone Show took place on 8 and 20 December at 19:00: if it is announced, we will post it here.

Gaeta lights, Christmas lights, «luci d'artista»: are they the Favole di Luce?

Yes: «Favole di Luce» is the official name of the Gaeta Christmas lights, which many people call the Gaeta lights, the Christmas lights or «luci d'artista» (artist's lights). It is the same event, from 7 November 2026 to 10 January 2027.

Where to eat after the Christmas lights?

In Medieval Gaeta, at the end of the route, there are Kè Eat Gaeta, Pizzeria del Porto di Carlo Avallone, Bar Bazzanti and Lia's Café; on Lungomare Caboto, Antica Pizzeria Ciro 1923 and Da Carrettella; in the centre, La Tana di Cagliostro and Brio Bar. They are all open in winter too.

Where to stay to see the Gaeta Christmas lights?

Right on the route, between Via Indipendenza and Piazza Capodanno, there are Sapore di Mare al Borgo, Casetta Velia, Le Casette di PaMi, The Sorabellas and Il Borgo di Ulisse; in Medieval Gaeta, Sapore di Mare al Duomo and AltaMarea Gaeta; between Corso Italia and Serapo, the other Sapore di Mare B&Bs and Il Bacio del Sole. At weekends and over New Year it is worth booking early.

Sources

Official Favole di Luce 2026-2027 programme (City of Gaeta, Lazio Region, Frosinone Latina Chamber of Commerce): poster, «Le mille e una luce di Gaeta» map, installations, special events and info points; official press release on the opening event (30 October 2026); useful information on the official website. Christmas markets and food stalls: ScopriGaeta, checked on site (25 October 2026). Consulted on 31 October 2026.