All you need to know about Light Night Leeds 2026

Leeds will be illuminated with light projections, installations and performances this week as the annual Light Night takes place.

Light Night is one of the UK's largest light festivals, and sees landmark buildings lit up across two evenings.

Thousands of people are expected to visit the city for the event, which will feature more than 40 artworks by artists working in Leeds, the UK and internationally.

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

Light Night is being held on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October from 18:00 to 21:30 GMT.

Usually on a school night, this is the first year it falls into the half-term holiday, meaning it is easier for families with young children to attend.

As the clocks went back at the weekend, it will go dark earlier, meaning the large-scale projections and immersive artworks can begin from 18:00 alongside the rest of the programme.

This year's event is called A City Speaks, and ties in with the Leeds 400 celebrations, marking 400 years since Leeds was granted its first Royal Charter by King Charles I.

Leeds City Council said it would "explore the stories, people and places that have shaped Leeds over the past four centuries while looking towards the city's future".

Created by Leeds-founded digital storytellers Imitating the Dog and local musicians Hope & Social, the projection at The Queens Hotel, will see five decades of memories unfold, showcasing the city's streets, bars and homes as they change throughout a life.

As buildings appear and disappear, the projection maps one person's journey onto the changing landscape of the city.

Simon Wainwright from Imitating the Dog said: "We worked closely with Hope & Social and the lyrics and music actually came first for this piece, with the visuals and animation taking inspiration from the finished song.

"We're storytellers and so our main focus is in creating a narrative with heart that everyone in Leeds can hopefully resonate with."

Call My Name, Call Me Home is supported by Markel and The Queens Hotel.

Meanwhile, Leeds Civic Hall will provide the backdrop for a piece created by Belgian artists Nele Fack and Niels Blondeel called In Dual Light.

The artwork draws its inspiration from the mathematical idea of duality, having been presented in partnership with City of Maths.

The light installations will span across eight zones around the city:

• Millennium Square
• Briggate
• Leeds Station
• SOYO - the housing development near Quarry Hill
• Wellington Place
• South Bank near Aire Park
• University of Leeds
• Elland Road and Stourton park-and-ride sites

There is an interactive map on the Light Night Leeds website.

You do not need a ticket for the event, as 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 displays.

Free British Sign Language (BSL) tours are also available to book via Leeds Ticket Hub.

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

There will also be additional buses running throughout the event from Elland Road and Stourton straight to the city centre.

These buses are on an extended timetable with the last bus to Elland Road leaving Trinity P (Boar Lane) at 23:16 GMT and the last bus to Stourton leaving Trinity K (Lower Briggate) at 23:36.

Wednesday evening looks to be dry throughout the evening with temperatures between 10C and 12C.

It will be similar on Thursday evening, dry with temperatures around 10C.

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