06.11
30.12.2025

05.11 - 30.12.26

Zurich

Christmas in Zurich 2026

Experience a place full of light, music, magic and encounters in the Christmas season

Connecting Festive Moments

For the 8th time the ILLUMINARIUM opens its doors in the courtyard of the Landesmuseum Zürich.
From 5 pm on, a magical winter wonderland awaits you with Christmas delights, atmospheric moments and immersive experiences for young and old alike.

Enjoy fondue, winter cocktails, upbeat dance music and culinary highlights at the beautifully lit indoor and outdoor bars. Three light shows transform the courtyard into the canvas for Switzerland's most impressive immersive shows:
YUKI'S PIXEL ZOO OCEAN, DIGITAL ART SHOW RING//REDUX and YUKIS KNUSPRIGE WEIHNACHTEN.

Christmas returns to the National Museum zurich

In the freely accessible front area of the courtyard, visitors can indulge in culinary delights. Before, after and during the light shows, you can warm up, recharge, meet friends or dive further into the world of illumination to the sound of wintry beats. Hot drinks, a wide selection of winter snacks, a fondue chalet and the club transform the courtyard into a festival for all the senses. You can book your cozy fondue experience online.

ZÜRICH

05.11 - 30.12.26

PROGRAM
Winter 2026

24.12 AND 25.12 CLOSED

5 - 8 pm
every 45 minutes

YUKI'S PIXEL ZOO OCEAN

Täglich
17:00 bis 17:45 Uhr &
18:30 - 19:15 Uhr

YUKIS PIXEL ZOO JUNGLE

Täglich
17:45 bis 18:30 Uhr &
19:15 - 20:00 Uhr

TICKETS
Yuki Show

Every evening from 5:00 PM. Until 8:00 PM, Yuki and her wonderfully spectacular friends will delight young and old with their new instrumental adventure.

This year, two magical adventures with Yuki await young and old — full of wonder, magical lights and winter surprises.
YUKI'S PIXEL ZOO OCEAN
Die Lichtshow entführt dich in diesem Jahr hoch in den Norden. Dirigentin Yuki und ihre schrecklich-spektakulären Freunde feiern arktische Weihnachten – und kommen dabei einem schaurig-schönen Geheimnis auf die Spur. Begleite sie auf eine abenteuerreiche Reise durch funkelndes Eis, tanzende Lichter und leise Weihnachtswunder – ein festlicher Publikumsliebling, der bereits 2021 für leuchtende Augen sorgte.
YUKI'S KNUSPRIGE WEIHNACHTEN
Nach Yukis Pixel Zoo Ocean folgt das zweite Format für Gross und Klein aus der faszinierenden Tierwelt – diesmal als volles Weihnachtserlebnis. Yukis Pixel Zoo Jungle ist gemeinsam mit dem Zoo Zürich entstanden und bietet der ganzen Familie Unterhaltung und Wissensvermittlung auf ganz neue Art.

Lass dich von Yuki und ihren Freund:innen auf eine immersive Reise an die entlegensten Orte im tiefsten Dschungel entführen – von den Regenwäldern des Kongo über den Amazonas bis nach Indonesien. Begegne Gorillas, Jaguaren, Faultieren und schillernden Aras und lerne auf spielerische Weise mehr über die Geheimnisse der faszinierenden Artenvielfalt der Tier- und Pflanzenwelt.

Und weil Weihnachten ist, leuchtet der Dschungel dieses Jahr festlicher denn je: Vertraute Weihnachtslieder begleiten die Reise, der Regenwald verwandelt sich in ein warmes, festliches Lichtermeer – Weihnachtszauber und Dschungelabenteuer in einem. Dieses audiovisuelle Erlebnis des Künstlerkollektivs PROJEKTIL lässt dich die grossen Zusammenhänge der Natur – und unseren Einfluss auf ihre Schätze – hautnah spüren. Ein magischer Moment für die ganze Familie, mitten in der schönsten Zeit des Jahres.
TICKETS
5 pm - midnight
Music from 5 pm. DJs from 7 pm.

Fans of pre-Christmas aperitifs and nightcap seekers will find space in the ILLUMINARIUM indoor and outdoor bars, rain or shine.

ILLU.DANCE

Every evening from 5:00 PM. Until 8:00 PM, Yuki and her wonderfully spectacular friends will delight young and old with their new instrumental adventure.

National and international DJs provide the perfect beats, creating a lively atmosphere and an after-work vibe every day from 7 pm to midnight. Access to this part of the light festival is free of charge.

Book your Lounge with your friends for a special ILLU.DANCE experience!

The lounge offers space for 6–10 people seated, and up to 15 standing. You can choose between two attractive packages:

Silver Package – CHF 1,250 minimum spend
-
3 bottles Magnum Rosé Minuty Prestige
- 6 bottles Prosecco Nudo 70cl
- 30 bottles Uszit 33cl
- 20 waters with/without gas 50cl

Gold Package – CHF 1,500 minimum spend
-
3 bottles Magnum Rosé Minuty Prestige
- 3 bottles Prosecco Nudo 70cl
- 1 bottle Absolut Vodka 70cl
- 15 El Tony Mate 33cl
- 30 bottles Uszit 33cl
- 20 waters with/without gas 50cl

Age limit: 21 and over. Thursday to Saturday from 8:00 pm
8 pm - 10 pm
every 30 minutes

In their new digital art show RING//REDUX, the artist collective PROJEKTIL presents Wagner's “Ring des Nibelungen” in a completely new way.

TICKETS
Klee Electronica

Starting at 8:00 PM, our captivating mapping show takes visitors on a journey through the vastness of the cosmos alongside astronauts Bob and Paul.

Can the love between Brünhilde and Siegfried defy intrigue and manipulation, and overcome the all-pervading thirst for power of the great empires? RING//REDUX cleverly brings this question into the present day, transposing the epic into a visually stunning, expressive experience for a modern audience.

Wagner's compositions were reproduced under the label PROJEKTIL MUSIC — electronic, minimalistic, and modern. Well-known melodies thus appear in a contemporary guise. Artistic projections, reinterpreted sounds, and playfully used illusions immerse you in a world of audiovisual poetry.

RING//REDUX invites you to dream with open eyes, if only for a short while.

We recommend a minimum age of 10 years old.
TICKETS
5 - 11 pm
CLOSED ON DECEMBER 24 AND 25

The fondue chalet can accommodate up to 140 people and invites you to enjoy cozy evenings, thanks to excellent cuisine and carefully curated decorations.

Reservations are recommended.

NO OUTDOOR RESERVATIONS
Unfortunately, we do not accept outdoor reservations — only reservations in our fondue chalet.

The taste of Christmas

The Fondue Chalet accommodates up to 130 people and invites you to long, cozy evenings with its excellent cuisine and elaborate decorations.

Ganz egal, ob ein intimer Abend zu zweit, ein Abend mit Freund:innen oder ein rauschendes Weihnachtsessen: Im neuen, zweistöckigen Fondue-Chalet von ILLUMINARIUM kommen alle auf ihre Kosten. Auf zwei Etagen erwartet dich noch mehr Platz für gemütliche Stunden.

Für eine Reservation im Chalet, ab 6 Personen, benötigst du eine Kreditkarte / Twint. Bitte beachte, dass wir im Falle eines No-Shows oder Stornierungen im Zeitfenster von weniger als 24 Stunden vor Reservierungsbeginn CHF 30 pro Person berechnen müssen.

Wir bieten ein „First Seating“ für Gäste, die früh kommen und vor 19.45 Uhr wieder los müssen. Falls du länger bleiben möchtest, kannst du nach 20.00 Uhr reservieren.

Das ILLUMINARIUM Fondue Chalet kann für Gruppen von 20 bis 220 Personen reserviert werden.

Rückfragen zu Gruppenreservationen beantworten wir gerne per Mail: gastro@illuminarium.ch
Unser Angebot für Gruppen: Gruppenmenü und Weinkarte
5 - 11 pm

The numerous seating and standing areas in the courtyard of the National Museum Zurich offer plenty of space to eat and drink in peace. Access to this part of the light festival is free of charge.

food corner

Delicacies for young and old at the Food Festival in the freely accessible part of the National Museum Zurich.

When it comes to cuisine, visitors can enjoy a variety of food stalls gathered around cozy fire pits: cotton candy, waffles, tacos, pizza, alpine macarons, marroni, curries, and other delicacies invite guests to grab a quick snack or enjoy a full meal.
Sunday 3 - 6 pm

The ILLUMINARIUM invites you to the happiest children's disco in Zurich every Sunday from 3 to 6 pm!

ILLU.KIDS

Disco for kids of all ages with Zurich's most kid-friendly DJs and other specials. Dance with us every Sunday from 3 pm to 5 pm.The Kids Disco is separate from the Yuki Show and free for everyone.

Every Sunday, our DJs provide real disco flair with a cross-generational music program. We combine music, movement, social interaction, and community to create a unique experience for the whole family — always colorful, funky, sparkling, and inclusive.

Refreshing drinks for all little dancers, popcorn, cotton candy, and colorful syrups are available. And Yuki will be there too, celebrating enthusiastically and making children’s eyes light up. The best part: admission is free!
HOW TO GET TO THE ILLUMINARIUM
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Dates and opening times
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The essentials at a glance
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iulluminarium map

SUSTAINABILITY
Yuki and her friends are taking steps again this year to continuously improve themselves. Here is an excerpt:

Light, electricity, and energy are issues that we all need to address this year and in the coming years. We take this seriously and, a few years ago, began converting our entire world of lights to LED, making the sea of lights a spectacular feature that is still minimally harmful to the environment. We also embrace sustainability in the fondue chalet: with its thick wooden walls, it requires no heating even in winter, thanks to human body heat.

In addition, together with the Zurich National Museum, we are implementing the following measures this year:

- In the catering industry, we carefully select our partners and suppliers, whenever possible favoring those producing in Switzerland and following their own sustainability strategies.

- We also strive to save energy and use the latest cooking technologies to become even more efficient. For example, we cook exclusively with induction hobs.

- Whenever possible, we avoid using environmentally harmful materials and strive to produce no food waste or unnecessary trash.

- The air exchange rate of ventilation systems has been optimized, and the temperature in the exhibition rooms has been slightly reduced.

With the location right next to Zurich Central Station, we recommend that our guests travel by public transport.

TICKETS AVAILABLE

Access to the ILLUMINARIUM is free.
Tickets for the light shows can be purchased here.

buy your tickets

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