Light Night is an annual multi-artform festival, which takes place on one evening at numerous venues across Leeds city centre. It is a celebratory showcase for the full range of diverse and thriving creative activity taking place in Leeds all year round, and gives visitors free access to art and venues that they might not normally see.
Coordinated by Leeds City Council’s Arts and Regeneration team, it involves contributions from many different Leeds-based arts organisations from internationally-renowned touring companies to small community groups, further and higher education establishments, arts collectives and individuals, including both professional and amateur artists, students and other members of the general public.
Around 50 venues will open their doors to host a range of around 80 different arts installations, performances, tours and activities that aim to shed a new light on the city, encourage audience participation, make people think and see Leeds differently and to be entertaining, educational and/or and stimulating for visitors. As well as established cultural venues such as galleries and theatres, the event takes over libraries, places of worship, public squares, shops, bars, barges, graveyards, casinos and prison cells.
Leeds was the first UK city to host a Light Night event back in 2005. Its success in Leeds has led many other UK cities to follow suit and start running their own events. The Light Night concept is based on the model of European events such as Nuit Blanche and Notte Bianca.
