The Eiffel Tower’s sparkling light display uses 20,000 light bulbs. Together, these small lamps create the tower’s famous golden, twinkling nighttime effect.
The sparkling system was introduced for the millennium celebrations. On 31 December 1999, the tower was illuminated with flashing lights and searchlights, turning the monument into a beacon visible across Paris. The display proved so popular that sparkling illumination returned in 2003 and became a recurring part of the tower’s identity.
The bulbs are arranged across the tower’s iron lattice rather than concentrated in a single sign or lamp bank. When activated, they flash for several minutes at the beginning of each hour after nightfall, although the schedule and operating rules can change for energy-saving or special-event reasons.
People often confuse the 20,000 sparkling bulbs with the tower’s permanent golden lighting or with its searchlights. They are separate systems: the golden illumination lights the structure, while the bulbs provide the glittering, celebratory animation.