‘Virtual flood’ made from light attracts thousands in Dublin

Carl Stallwood with his son Evan enjoying Daan Roosegaarde’s Waterlicht at Iveagh Gardens in Dublin as part of Science Week 2026placeholder image
Carl Stallwood with his son Evan enjoying Daan Roosegaarde’s Waterlicht at Iveagh Gardens in Dublin as part of Science Week 2026

Iveagh Gardens, a familiar landscape in Dublin city centre, has been transformed into a ‘virtual flood’.

Some 5,000 people attended the opening of a large-scale immersive “virtual flood” made from light in Dublin.

Visitors stand and walk beneath moving blue waves of light, named Waterlicht, which create the illusion that the landscape has been submerged.

Iveagh Gardens, a familiar landscape in Dublin city centre, has been transformed into a “virtual flood”.

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Created by Dutch artist and innovator Daan Roosegaarde, Waterlicht uses LEDs, lasers, lenses and software to create a virtual flood, illustrating how high water levels could rise.

The project is designed to show the audience the impact of climate change.

It opened on Friday at Iveagh Gardens.

The team behind the project describe it as a “dream landscape about the power and poetry of water”.

The underlying idea allows people to physically experience the potential level of water and think about flooding, climate change, water management and the relationship with water.

Waterlicht takes place in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens from 6.30pm to 9.30pm on Saturday.

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