Light Night Leeds 2026

Light Night Leeds is back on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October, with the city centre turning into a giant outdoor gallery for two nights. It's a citywide festival, so you'll find installations scattered across Millennium Square, Briggate, SOYO, South Bank, the Station, Wellington Place and the University, rather than everything in one spot. The whole thing is completely free, and it runs from 6pm to 9.30pm on both nights.

This year's theme is A City Speaks…, and it's part of Leeds 400, which marks 400 years since the city was granted its first Royal Charter by King Charles I on 13 July 1626. The theme pulls on the personal stories, historic landmarks and people that shape Leeds, and there are over 40 free installations by artists working in Leeds, across the UK and internationally. Two of the headline pieces are worth noting: Far, Far Away is a six-part projection along Briggate, co-produced with the British Library and Lightspray Visual, and In Dual Light takes over the façade of Leeds Civic Hall, by Belgian artists Nele Fack and Niels Blondeel of City of Maths.

Light Night first launched in 2005 and has grown into one of the UK's largest light festivals, with more than 200,000 people visiting across the city over two nights in a previous edition. It's organised and delivered by Leeds City Council with funding from an Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant and the city's business community. There's also an accessible evening with a BSL tour, so it's not just for those who can wander the streets on their own. Councillor Salma Arif, deputy leader at Leeds City Council, says the event helps establish Leeds as a cultural destination while making art accessible to everyone.

With installations spread from the South Bank up to the University, you can make a night of it and see as much or as little as you fancy. It's free, it's citywide, and it runs from 6pm to 9.30pm on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October.