Watch aerial footage of the Eiffel Tower lit up
Every day as dusk settles over the city, the Eiffel Tower invites spectators to admire her golden aura, but when do the lights come on? And what about the sparkles? Here is the answer to all your questions.
The Tower lights and beacon
The Tower lights and beacon are lit up every evening from dusk until midnight.
As soon as it gets dark, the Eiffel Tower’s golden lighting switches on automatically within less than 10 minutes, thanks to light-sensitive twilight sensors. Simply check an almanac to find out what time the monument will light up. This system, which dates back to 1985, has no less than 336 1kW high-pressure sodium lamps that are changed every 4 years (the last replacement took place in the spring of 2019).
These lights are both for aesthetic and safety purposes since they light the route for visitors and ensure the proper operation of the monument at night.
In addition to the structural lighting, a beacon located at the top of the Tower also comes on at dusk. On a clear evening, its rays can reach up to 80 km! It is reminiscent of the beacon that was installed on the monument in 1889. But in fact, the current beacon (which dates back to 1999) consists of 4 marine-type projectors, one on each side of the monument, that are operated by micro-computers with specific software and a programmable logic controller. These 4 projectors take turns performing a 90° rotation and turning on and off in sync, creating the illusion of a 360° rotating beam.
The sparkles
The sparkles: every evening after dusk for 5 minutes at the beginning of each hour. Until midnight or 1am.
Wrapped in its golden splendor, the Eiffel Tower’s lighting is sublimated by this sparkling. The lights sparkle on the hour for five minutes from nightfall (if night falls at 7.40pm, the lights sparkle first at 8pm) until midnight or 1am,depending on the season. The last sparkle at 1am has a special feature: the golden lighting and the beacons were switched off, leaving only the sparkling lights for five minutes.
This spectacle is a must-see! It’s interesting to note that this sparkling effect is created by no less than 20,000 6W bulbs flashing successively at a very fast rate. The effect was inspired by camera flashes!
The monument’s illumination (lighting and sparkles), as we know it today, was designed by lighting engineer Pierre Bideau.
Check the following pages to learn even more:
