The Festival of Light of Jerusalem is an annual festival in which the Old City of Jerusalem is brought to light. The 2011 Festival will take place between 15 June and 22 June and will see dramatic light-ups of the ancient architecture of the Old City as well as the installation of light statues, performances, and pieces of museum artwork. Attracting to Israel well-known light sculptors and light designers from around the world, the Jerusalem Festival of Light provides a unique backdrop for them to exhibit their creations.

The annual Fresh Paint Tel Aviv Art Fair hosts 30,000 visitors each year and presents works by leading contemporary galleries and independent artists, making it one of Israel’s largest and most influential contemporary art events. Each year, the Fresh Paint fair takes place in a different location within Tel Aviv dramatically changing the dynamic and visitor experience. In 2012, the Fresh Paint Tel Aviv Art Fair, will take place between May 15-19, at the New High School Complex in Shoshana Persitz Street in the far north of the city.

Houses from Within Tel Aviv is an annual event in which, along with 50 other cities worldwide, Tel Aviv opens some of its most architecturally and historically notable private buildings to the public for one weekend only, as part of the international Open House project. Houses from Within Tel Aviv will include over 140 usually private spaces who will open up to the public on the weekend of May 17-19, 2012. These include a range of buildings – from some of the city’s most famous and iconic, to private homes and studios.

For the first time ever, Tel Aviv Art Weekend is going to be hosted in March 2012, as part of Tel Aviv Art Year. The weekend is part of a wider program of events celebrating the opening of the new wing at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art which opened late last year. The Tel Aviv Art Weekend will take place between March 21-24, 2012, which will feature art gatherings, special museum openings, large scale public art events, shows, tours, and more unique and fascinating events.

The Tel Aviv Accessible Art Fair will be returning in February 2012, welcoming over 30 emerging and established artists from every corner of the globe to Tel Aviv. The Accessible Art Fair is part of a global series of events which take place each year aiming to present visitors with the best selection of contemporary art from all over the world, in a casual, friendly atmosphere. Tel Aviv Accessible Art Fair will be held between February 12-16 and will focus upon up-and coming designers creating an event concentrating on ‘Design Space and Tel Aviv Art and Design.

The Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem’s Old City will be hosting a new temporary exhibition between December 30, 2011 and April 30, 2012 entitled “Jerusalem” for Four Hands: The Animated Films of Emmanuel Luzzati and Giulio Gianini, and features the amazingly colorful collages of Emanuele Luzzati and Giulio Gianini with layers of brilliant color lying one on top of one another to create magical combinations. In addition, the exhibition will revisit the animated film “Jerusalem”, which was created for the Tower of David Museum nearly two decades ago by Luzzati and Gianini.

Jerusalem Design Week is an annual festival of design taking place in Jerusalem. First hosted in 2010, the design week in Jerusalem returns between December 4-9, 2011 in what is set to be the biggest event of its kind in Israel. A grand opening event will take place on December 4 at the Hansen compound, where two design exhibitions will be presented. An international design conference, exhibitions, master class & design in the cinema event, are among Jerusalem Design Week’s events.

Hamshushalayim is an event series that takes place in Jerusalem during the first four weekends in December. Returning to the city for its seventh year, the series offers the public an amazing array of events at cultural institutions in the city with museums and tourist sites opening free of charge to the public and tens of free or very affordable music performances, street theater, musical. exciting night tours, and concerts across Jerusalem. The Hamshushalayim series will take place in 2011 on the weekends of December 1-3, December 8-10, December 15-17, and December 22-24.

The first Tel Aviv Fashion Week since the 1980′s will be taking place in 2011. The event will feature some 21 fashion shows in front of over 20,000 guests, including guest of honor, Roberto Cavalli. The week will feature fashion from the Spring Summer 2012 collections of Israeli and international designers, and will take place between November 21-23, 2011, at HaTachana, the Old Railway Station in the south of the city.

Houses From Within, Jerusalem is an annual event taking place each Autumn in which, for one weekend, over 100 buildings across Jerusalem open their doors to the public. The participating buildings range from public institutions such as government buildings, cultural venues, and museums, to private homes and offices from every architectural period and style conceivable. At some venues, guided tours take place, whilst in others the doors are literally opened for the public to explore. In 2011, Houses From Within, Jerusalem (known in Hebrew as Batim Jerusalem) will be on the weekend of November 4-5.