Festival has been lighting up Lancaster for a decade

Now, a decade on, this annual free fireworks and light art celebration is a mainstay of the city’s events calendar, attracting thousands of local people and tourists during a traditionally quiet time of the year.

The idea for Light Up Lancaster sprang from a desire for the city to build on the popularity of the fireworks spectacular organised by Lancaster City Council for many years previously.

Thousands of people would pour into the city for the half-hour display near Lancaster Castle and it was suggested that more events could be built around the fireworks to attract people to stay longer in the area.

In 2012, Lancaster Arts Partners had launched a First Fridays initiative, where special events took place for free on the first Friday of every month to encourage people to try something new, so they joined forces with Lancaster City Council to launch what was first entitled Light Up The Streets on the first Friday in November, the day before the fireworks.

That first festival featured huge illuminated skeletons and lanterns in Market Square, projections reflecting the city’s history and culture on several buildings, a gamelan in Dalton Square and performances of Chinese music in Marketgate. Lancaster had seen nothing like it.

“Light Up The Streets was a pilot event so we had to think of how we could expand on its success and make more of a weekend of it to benefit businesses and the people of Lancaster,” said Julie Brown, Light Up Lancaster’s artistic director who’s been involved with the festival since day one.

From little acorns do big oak trees grow and by 2013, Light Up Lancaster extended to the Lune Aqueduct which was illuminated and animated with aerial artists, dancers, musicians and magicians.

Since then, Light Up Lancaster always begins on the night before the fireworks and ends when the final rocket bursts over the castle.

And the festival continues to surprise, such is the fast moving world of light art, attracting artists at the top of their game from home and abroad as well as supporting those just starting out.

Light Up Lancaster is now also part of the Light Up The North network and Light Up The North partnership, a network of light festivals taking place in cities across the North of England.

This year’s Light Up Lancaster takes place on November 4-5. Although wristbands are needed to watch the Fireworks Spectacular from the official viewing areas (Giant Axe and Quay Meadow), the display can also be enjoyed from various vantage points across the city - if you can see the castle, you can see the fireworks!

Wristband orders have been temporarily paused as the fireworks spectacular is nearing capacity.

Further allocations may be available at a later date.

For any queries about the festival, contact Lancaster Visitor Information Centre: 01524 582394, Mon-Sat 10am – 4pm.

E-newsletters are available via https://www.lightuplancaster.co.uk/ and latest updates can be viewed on social media.