PURPOSE: To provide a lighting circuit at the lowest cost so that a fluorescent lamp can be instantaneously lighted, by using a starter of connecting in series a reverse conduction thyristor and a capacitor.

CONSTITUTION: As a lighting circuit for a fluorescent lamp, a reverse conduction thyristor 1 and a capacitor 2, connected in series, are used. Setting trigger voltage is increased higher than that in an ordinary glow starter by the amount equivalent to accumulated voltage of the capacitor 2. The glow starter is substituted for performing high speed lighting operation for about 0.1sec.