Lumiere Festival 2025 in England

Artists from around the world come to Durham, London, and other UK cities to light up the streets with a series of unusual installations and iconic building illuminations. This festival, inspired by the Fête des Lumières in Lyon—a December celebration known for its intricate light displays on historical landmarks—brings the same sense of wonder to the UK. Each year, the Lumiere Festival takes place in different locations, showcasing the unique and captivating architecture of cities like Durham.

Lumiere Durham

Lumiere debuted in Durham in 2009. It is held here biennially in November, attracting over 240,000 people by its unusual light displays and animation. The light show was then taken to Derry in Northern Ireland in 2013, where it presented 17 light art installations.

Produced by the charity organization Artichoke and commissioned by the Durham County Council, Lumiere has grown in scale, with its 2023 edition showcasing over 40 installations by both local and international artists. The festival also extends beyond the city center, bringing light art to the outskirts of Durham and across Durham County, highlighting the region's more remote and scenic locations.

Festival Illuminations

Every edition of Lumiere brings new art forms to the city that for three days becomes an experimental ground for international artists combining light, music, and animation. It's a wonderful spectacle for the residents of Durham and thousands of visitors who come to see the festival.

The most famous Lumiere Durham installation is the projection on Durham Cathedral with images from the Lindisfarne Gospels. Another iconic installation featured a 3D projection of an elephant on the Elvet Bridge. Some installations in Durham remain permanently, like "Lightbench" by Bernard Spiecker, installed in 2015. It features color-changing benches in the Freeman's Quay near the Gala Theatre.

In 2023, Daniel Canogar brought vibrant, colorful projections to the facade of the Institute for Computational Cosmology, while Angela Sandwith's light installation, Ghost Nest, creatively repurposed objects found on local beaches as a statement about environmental conservation. Durham Masonic Hall was splashed with colorful paint as part of Emma Allen's exhibit.

Show Locations

Light installations could also be viewed near Market Place, Riverside, Prebends Bridge, Saddler Street, Silver Street, as well as North and South Baileys. Throughout its run, the festival put up both meaningful and stunning artworks in St Oswald's Churchyard, at Baths Bridge, Clayport Library, Walkergate Riverside, Durham Sixth Form Centre, Freemans Quay, Durham Castle, and many other locations. Some installations are set up in several different locations at once, giving you a chance to embark on a quest to find them.

Schedule & Hours

Held for four days in November, the Lumiere Festival usually operates from 4:30 pm to 11 pm. Some installations, like those on Bishop Auckland, are normally open from 5 pm to 10 pm, while Durham Cathedral welcomes visitors until 10:30 pm. Most of the artworks are up from 7 pm until 11 pm each night.

Tickets

No admission fee is required to attend the Lumiere Festival. However, some installations, such as those in the Durham City Centre, could require tickets during peak time, usually between 4:30 and 7:30 pm.