The Bay Lights art installation returns to the Bay Bridge in March 2026 after a three-year hiatus. The new version has 50,000 LEDs, double the original count, engineered to last until 2035. Artist Leo Villareal's light display will be visible from Marin and the East Bay.
After a 3-year hiatus, the revered light-up art installation at the Bay Bridge is finally coming back. Crews have been working for months to install 50,000 LEDs on the old portion of the Bay Bridge. The installation called Bay Lights 360 will have double the number of lights as the original version of the installation and will be visible from Marin and the East Bay. The nonprofit-backed project by artist Leo Villarreal was originally supposed to come back in 2025, but it was delayed, now supposed to come back in March of 2026. The original installation ended in March of 2023 because of degradation from the very harsh environmental conditions on the bridge, and the new lights are apparently engineered to better withstand those issues and should last until 2035. There's going to be an event to celebrate the return. I don't have details yet, but when I do, I'll update you, so follow me for more information.
