Lancaster’s Light Up Festival 2021

Lancaster’s Light Up Festival 2021

Dates: 05 Nov 2021 - 06 Nov 2021

Location: Lancaster City Centre

When a popular city is in the dark it loses it’s magic touch and appeal to the local shoppers. As the clocks change in a couple of months we’ll all be striving after daylight so we can enjoy a city to the max. 
 
However, there is an event that is now in it’s eighth year which sees the city in lights during a period of darkness. ‘Lancaster’s Light Up Festival’ is going with the 2021 theme:- ‘Flights of the Imagination’ which will be a colourful display of lights in honour of local people, businesses and artists which have been hit hard during the past 18 months. 
 
The self-guided tour transports visitors through a magical route around:-
  • The historical city
  • The museum 
  • Library 
  • A major showpiece at Lancaster Castle. 
Take a look at this short film from the 2017 event to give you a taster of what to expect for 2021:-
This year, the festival organisers are hoping to introduce more commissioned displays in the city’s shop windows to celebrate the return to the high street but also to bring a light into the vacant stores that are empty due to the pandemic. 
 
Creative Producer George Harris also imagines this will run into the festive season too, 
 
“Light up Lancaster is only for two nights, but the shop window installations can run right until the city’s Christmas lights switch on. We usually get nearly 50,000 people come to see the lights and it’s families that takeover the city centre and it’s completely different atmosphere. Somebody said to me, it’s the best cultural event of the year in Lancaster and I think that’s because it adds magic. There’s something about being out in the evening and discovering beautiful light installations”. 
 
 The festival is expected to take place from November 5th - 6th. This will allow the public to see installations, performances and events outdoors in the city’s open spaces and set against the backdrop of the heritage buildings with some indoor venues. 
 
On the Friday evening (November 5th ) all installations will be on from 5pm -10pm. 
 
Creatives are being called upon to display their creations at Lancaster’s Light Up Festival this year. 
 
^Alex Ashworth CCG Art Blogger