The lighting circuit for lighting a dielectric barrier discharge lamp includes a direct-current power source, a transformer having a primary winding connected to a positive electrode-side terminal of the direct-current power source and a secondary winding connected to the dielectric barrier discharge lamp, a closed circuit in which the direct-current power source, the primary winding, and a switching element including a parasitic diode are serially connected, and a controller to perform ON/OFF control of the switching element. The controller executes a first step to shift the switching element from an ON state to an OFF state and a second step to shift the switching element from the OFF state to the ON state after a lapse of a predetermined OFF holding time from when a regenerative current flowing through the primary winding reaches a zero value after the first step.