All you need to know about Light Night Leeds 2025

Drummers from SPARK! perform in Trinity Leeds as part of Light Night Leeds 2022

One of the biggest and most popular events in Leeds' cultural calendar returns this week.

Light Night Leeds has been a family-friendly fixture for the past two decades, with artistic illuminations dotted around the city and projected onto buildings.

Held over two nights, the event drew more than 200,000 spectators last year.

Here's everything you need to know about what to expect.

When is Light Night Leeds?

The event will be held across the evenings of Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 October.

It had initially been due to take place on Thursday and Friday this week, but Leeds City Council brought it forward 24 hours to avoid a clash with Leeds United's home game against West Ham United on Friday night.

The local authority said it had considered holding Light Night over the weekend, but ruled it out on the grounds of potential overcrowding and rising security costs.

Most of the illuminations begin at around 18:00 BST, although a handful begin slightly earlier or later.

The majority of displays will draw to a close by 22:00.

More than 200,000 visitors attended last year's event

What can we expect?

According to the the event's website, there will around 50 exhibits spread across eight designated zones.

These zones are located in Millennium Square, Briggate, Leeds Station, the SOYO housing development near Quarry Hill, Wellington Place, around the University of Leeds, and both the Elland Road and Stourton park-and-ride sites.

In addition, there will street theatre performances at regular intervals in both the Briggate and Wellington Place zones.

Organisers say the theme for this year's Light Night will be 'landmarks', with some of the city's most iconic buildings honoured accordingly.

What are the main highlights?

The Queens Hotel, next to the station, will provide a backdrop for a projection marking 200 years of the modern railway.

The projection, called One Second Lovestory, is by German artist Dirk Rauscher and is described as capturing the moment "when two people's eyes meet at a busy train station".

Meanwhile, Leeds Civic Hall will host an installation created using imagery from books from the British Library's collection. Visitors will be invited to explore the "universes of science, illusion and discovery", according to organisers.

Another major feature being heavily trailed in advance is a tribute to the invention of the spirograph, which was created by Leeds' very own Denys Fisher 60 years ago.

Located in the Brodrick Hall at Leeds Museum and accompanied by a specially composed soundscape, the exhibition will bring a series of drawings by the artist Lesley Haliwell to life through a series of colourful spirograph patterns.

Do I need a ticket?

No, all the exhibitions are completely free and in public spaces everyone can access.

However, the council has warned there are likely to be queues for some of the busier exhibitions.

An exhibition paying tribute to the invention of the spirograph will take place at Leeds Museum

What about travel?

The council is putting a on free 'Light Night Rider' bus service to help visitors get about.

The buses will be accessible to prams and wheelchairs and will run approximately every 15 minutes.

Full details, including a list of routes and stops, can be found here.

The park-and-ride facilities at both Elland Road and Stourton will also be open late especially for the event, with buses running every 15 minutes from both to the city centre at peak times.

The last buses from Leeds City Centre will depart from Boar Lane (Trinity P) to Elland Road (PR1) at 23:57 and from Lower Briggate (Trinity K) to Stourton (PR3) at 23:33.

The event is one of Leeds' most popular visitor attractions

What will the weather be like?

Wednesday is forecast to be dry throughout the evening, with autumnal temperatures hovering between 9C (48F) and 11C (51F).

On Thursday, while wet weather is expected during the day, it is expected to have cleared up by the time the exhibitions start in the evening.

However, it is likely to be slightly chillier than Wednesday.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.