Light Up 2024

The Light Up Festival is set to spread festive cheer across the Wakefield district (7-30 November 2024).   

This year’s festival is part of Our Year - Wakefield District 2024, a year-long programme of breathtaking spectacles, unique festivals and community-led activities that celebrate all the Wakefield district has to offer.      

From 15-17 November, Wakefield welcomes visitors to discover the city centre in a whole new light during its Light Up trail.  

The event will see a trail of incredible light installations across the city centre including The Timekeepers by Illuminos.  

The precinct will also host a Christmas Craft & Gift Market. Families can also take part in lantern making workshops at The Art House, thanks to this year’s event sponsor YPO.   

The tipi bar will be back with live entertainment. Event partners Trinity Walk, The Art House and The Ridings Shopping Centre will also be hosting a programme of festive fun including face painting, street entertainment, Santa’s Grotto and more.   

People can get into the festive spirit at Christmas light-switch ons in Castleford (19 November), Pontefract (24 November) and Ossett (30 November) where you can enjoy festive markets, street entertainment, live music and much more before the light switch-on at 5:30pm.  

Through Wakefield Council’s Connecting Culture Grants as part of Our Year – Wakefield District 2024, the Light Up festival has been able to expand. National Trust Nostell, The Hepworth Wakefield, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and National Coal Mining Museum will all host events. 

Swap fireworks for a night of culture and fire art in the garden at Nostell from 7 – 9 November. The rose garden will be lit by 240 blazing torches and impressive steel sculptures of delicate seed heads and natural forms. Booking is required.  

On 15-17 November, The Hepworth Wakefield’s Light Up will host a spectacular animation celebrating 100 years of Surrealism – and the natural landscapes found in Surrealist paintings – projected across the side of the gallery building. There will be creative drop-in workshops for families all weekend.  

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park will open their new immersive installation exhibition ‘Liz West Our Colour Reflection’ on 15 November. Visit the historic YSP Chapel which will be transformed into a joyful display of vibrant colour and light by Wakefield-born artist, Liz West. This exhibition will run until 5 January 2025.  

National Coal Mining Museum will come to life with a stunning light show including a showstopping centrepiece, ‘Sentinel,’ inspired by coal mining’s canaries on 22-24 November. Expect the return of Santa Underground, a brass band, lantern making workshops and lantern parade to close the festivities.    

  

For information:

The magic continues throughout the month so save the dates now:   

7-9 November - Nostell Fire Garden  

15-17 November - Light Up Wakefield  

15-17 November – Light Up The Hepworth Wakefield  

15 November 2024 – 5 January 2025 – Liz West: Our Colour Reflection at YSP  

19 November – Light Up Castleford   

22-24 November – Light Up Festival at NCMME   

24 November – Light Up Pontefract   

30 November – Light Up Ossett   

 

Details of all Light Up events are at: ouryear24.com/LightUp   

  

Our Year:  

Our Year – Wakefield District 2024 is a partnership celebration led by Wakefield Council.    

The Council is enabling Our Year to leave a lasting legacy for its people and places, working in partnership with organisations from Wakefield district and the West Yorkshire region.  

West Yorkshire Combined Authority has also supported Our Year with a grant of £800,000 towards the cost of staging the year-long programme, with Arts Council England investing £500,000 and National Lottery Heritage Fund supporting it with a grant of £245,000. To find out about Our Year, please visit ouryear2024.co.uk    
  
For further information, follow Our Year on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.