Colourful pictures as Light up Lancaster festival shines a light on city

Footfall counters at key locations showed audience figures similar to the two previous years of the festival within the city centre, plus this year Williamson Park also hosted an extra trail of installations.

Among the festival highlights was Sandcastle at Lancaster Castle, a playful projection that reimagined the historic landmark as one enormous sandcastle.

Festival favourites imitating the dog, working with James Hamilton, presented Dear Earthling..., a spectacular new projection perfectly at home in Lancaster Priory’s magnificent surroundings.

Visitors became part of the artwork in Puddles in the Storey Gardens, where their footsteps sent waves of light across digital puddles.

Inside The Storey, Duplication and Zero Knowledge, original artworks supported by Lancaster University’s CyberFocus, explored our increasingly digital world through a collaboration between artists and cyber researchers.

A secret installation hidden in the garden of the Judges’ Lodgings – Apples & Pears - Working Lives Below Stairs by Rachel Riggs - added another element of discovery, rewarding festival-goers who followed the clues to track it down!

While Lancaster’s historic city centre remained at the heart of the festival, this year’s programme also spread its wings, encouraging visitors to experience light art in very different surroundings.

One of the biggest developments for 2026 was the expansion of the festival experience at Williamson Park, which became a destination in its own right, with nine magical installations by Jony Easterby to discover across the park.

The festival also expanded along Lancaster Canal with a playful collection of installations inspired by animals, wildlife and the waterside environment.

Animals, Fish Are Jumping, Crystal Tide and Damselflies transformed the canal into a fun and imaginative addition to this year’s festival trail.

A programme of live music, dance and performance, alongside a varied food and drink offer in Market Square was curated by Closing Loops, adding to the festival atmosphere and giving visitors plenty of opportunities to pause, warm up and enjoy the evening.

The festival’s new Fun Zones gave children, young people and families even more opportunities to play, interact and become part of the art.

LUL hosted international production companies, ARTShifters and Kaleider, to present engaging family-friendly installations: visitors could climb aboard the glowing, upcycled pigs of Pig Farm and set them swaying, reshape the giant illuminated sculptures of Twist & Shine, or take aim at the mischievous digital creatures of Demonz.

Tom Fyson, operations manager at Lancaster BID, said: “Light Up Lancaster really shines a light on our wonderful city, attracting tens of thousands of visitors from across the northwest and beyond. It was amazing to see the city centre so busy with people supporting our local businesses and giving a welcome boost to the local economy.

"We are proud to be part of the team that made it all happen.”

Julie Brown, the Festival’s artistic director, said: “We were delighted by the response from audiences and participants at this year’s festival. It was particularly wonderful to see families enjoying the Fun Zones in Sun Square and Dalton Square, which brought even more playful, hands-on experiences to the programme and gave younger visitors lots of ways to get involved.

"Lancaster is a beautiful city to illuminate, and seeing people of all ages exploring and enjoying it together is always really special.”

Light Up Lancaster is a major collaborative effort, made possible by the artists, performers, creative and technical teams, venues, volunteers, partners, funders, sponsors, supporters and local businesses who contribute their time, expertise and resources.

The festival was delivered by imitating the dog, Lancaster BID, Lancaster University, Mirador, The Dukes and The Gregson.

Its Funding Partners included Arts Council England, Lancaster City Council, Lancaster University Impact Acceleration Account Programme, CyberFocus, UK Research and Innovation’s Arts and Humanities Research Council, Our Future Coast, Creative Lancashire, Lancaster University Confucius Institute, The Duchy of Lancaster, Preston City Mela and Lancashire County Council.

Festival Champions Hotfoot and English Lakes Hotels also supported the event, alongside festival sponsor UKBathroomstore.

A wide range of local, regional and national organisations provided financial and in-kind support to help Light Up Lancaster remain free and accessible.

Festival organisers are now inviting visitors to share their thoughts about this year’s event by visiting the Feedback page of the Light Up Lancaster website.