Free festival which will light up Leicester returning to city centre

Locations across the city centre will be taking part as the Light Up Leicester event returns. Over four nights, there will be a series of free public events, performances and parades alongside the usual programme of illuminated installations.

There will be numerous new glowing artworks and installations, created by artists from the UK, Australia and France. Light Up Leicester 2025, which is the third time the event has been held since 2020, will feature a mix of large-scale projections, light and sound installations plus interactive performances by local, national and international artists.

Highlights will include an illuminated bike ride, a street theatre performance with giant illuminated horses and a parade featuring more than 300 local school children inspired by they story of King Richard III and the city’s diverse cultural heritage.

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There will be a trail of illuminated artworks across the city, which will be on show every day for the full four days, from both local and international artists. They will include a playground of giant glowing bubbles called Evanescent by Sydney-based artist duo Atelier Sisu and The Beacon, a dramatic 2km-high column of light projected into the sky by Tom Campbell, and two art installations by Paris-based Collectif Scale, Double Flux and Hula Hoop, that combine movement, music and digital technology to produce a "dynamic and mesmerising experience", Leicester City Council said.

There will also be a digital art projection and animation that will light up Leicester Cathedral, created especially for Light Up Leicester by award-winning local artists MBD. The projection, called Cathedral, Culture and Crown, will feature a mix of projection, animation and audio, which "will transform the iconic building into a moving visual feast that celebrates the city’s rich history and communities".

City centre businesses are being invited to get involved in the festival by offering space in their window displays for a photographic exhibition created by artist collective Urban Canvas and local schools. Working with professional artists, participating children will be creating their own artworks through ‘Light Painting’ - a photographic style that uses long exposure times to capture moving images of lights.

Full details of the festival, including information about all the installations, the opening day parades, free performances and a Gallowtree Gate night market, are now available on the festival website. Search the internet for "Light up Leicester" for further information.

Assistant city mayor Vi Dempster said: “For four nights in March, Leicester will come alive with light and colour, with extraordinary performances and installations by international artists that people will be able to enjoy free of charge.

“Schools and communities are getting involved too, with our partners at Inspirate and Art Reach working with local groups across the city on projects that will celebrate the city’s diversity and bring an extra dimension to the festival.

“More than 80,000 people enjoyed the stunning installations that Light Up Leicester brought to the city back in 2022. Thanks to the generous support of our funders and sponsors, this free festival will be back in March to brighten up the dark winter nights for many thousands more.”

Light Up Leicester runs from Wednesday, March 12, to Saturday, March 15. More information can be found online.