The 3rd Shanghai International Light Festival kicked off on September 17, marking a month-long celebration with the theme "Light of Shanghai." The event features one main venue at Yanzhong Green Space in the Huangpu district and 16 additional venues across the city, hosting 158 themed events. At the main venue, Yanzhong Green Space has been transformed into Shanghai's first contiguous urban forest light experience zone, covering four connected green spaces. Interactive projection shows on the Telecom Building and a 10-day music and light spectacle at the Shanghai Concert Hall blend architectural projections with varied music line-ups to create an immersive audio-visual experience. Each of the 16 sub-venues is designed to reflect local characteristics, offering unique experiences. In downtown areas, Pudong features a 2,600-foot-long forest light street, while Putuo introduces Shanghai’s first large-scale floating light installation. Xuhui’s West Bund Dream Centre showcases site-specific works by leading global new media artists in an experimental riverside venue. In more suburban areas, Baoshan premieres its Changtan IMAX dome water screen show, combined with drone performances and fireworks, and Pudong’s Lingang creates immersive naked-eye 3D light zones around Dishui Lake. The festival highlights international collaboration, with the Shining Shanghai International Light Art Competition receiving 156 entries from 149 teams across 41 countries and regions on six continents. More than half of the teams have won top international light art awards. Twenty shortlisted works will be displayed at the historic Shenyu Lane complex in MixC World Suhewan starting September 26. Under the MM•ARTech program, 15 leading artists from eight groups—based in cities like London, Singapore, Budapest, and Berlin—created site-specific works under the theme "In Shanghai," which will debut at the Tank Art Park during the festival. The festival’s global reach is further shown through an open call for installations, which attracted 174 submissions from artists in 16 countries. Interactive works from France, Croatia, and the Netherlands will debut at Yanzhong Green Space and the Suzhou Creek waterfront, encouraging visitors to engage with light art rather than just observe it. Green and low-carbon principles are central to the festival, with many installations using recycled materials and biodegradable panels. Most installations are designed to remain in public spaces after the festival, reflecting the idea of art empowering the city and technology protecting the environment. The festival also emphasizes public participation, with experts and residents jointly designing venues at sites like Yanzhong Green Space and Jing’an Park. Activities such as youth light art workshops, photography contests, pet night runs, and parent-child craft workshops cater to diverse groups, shifting the experience from passive viewing to active participation.