River of Light 2026: lanterns on the waterfront

Liverpool's waterfront is about to light up again. River of Light returns for its ninth edition from Friday 23 October to Sunday 1 November, with the installations switched on from 5pm to 9pm each night. It is free, family-friendly, and run by Culture Liverpool, so it is an easy one to drop into without planning much beyond the date.

The festival spreads 13 large-scale artworks along a trail of roughly two to three kilometres across the waterfront and the city centre. There is no official starting point, so you can pick up wherever suits you. The Royal Albert Dock area holds four or five of the pieces, while Pier Head tends to take the most prominent ones, with projections cast onto the Cunard and Port of Liverpool buildings. From there the trail reaches out to the Three Graces, Exchange Flags behind Liverpool Town Hall and Liverpool ONE, at Paradise Place and Chavasse Park. If you walk the whole thing without stopping it takes about 45 minutes; if you actually stop to look at the work, allow two to three hours.

This year's theme is 'Together', and the line-up leans into it. There is 'Together' by Murugiah, Sam Wiehl and Glomoth; 'Invisible Cities' by Atelier Sisu; 'Flower Power' by Spectaculaires; 'The Anooki' by Inook, with characters playing hide-and-seek around Liverpool Town Hall; 'Unity' by Amigo and Amigo; 'Paradigm' by This is Loop; 'Colour Rush' by Liz West; 'Today I Love You' by Massimo Uberti; 'Coloured Peonies' by TILT; 'The Stars Come Out at Night' by Stellar Creates; 'POP!' by Gentilhomme; 'Dream Herd', another from Amigo and Amigo; and 'LOOP' by Olivier Girouard and Jonathan Villeneuve.

There is a market inside the Cunard Building running alongside, which has been extended to eight nights this year, from Friday 23 to Friday 30 October, 4pm to 9pm, with around 30 stalls. It is worth factoring in if you want a bit of browsing before or after the walk.

On the practical side, the route is flat and step-free from Pier Head round to King's Dock, with level access to 12 of the outdoor installations, so it works fine for wheelchairs, buggies and mobility scooters. Public toilets are at Pier Head and the Royal Albert Dock. For getting in and out, James Street station is five to eight minutes away on foot, and the Liverpool ONE bus station is about five minutes. If you are driving, there is parking at Princes Dock, which has accessible facilities, as well as at the Royal Albert Dock and Liverpool ONE, with the Q-Park sites sitting somewhere between £15 and £25 a night.

A few landmarks along the way are worth knowing. The Three Graces on Pier Head are the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building, the first of which opened in 1911 with its two 18-foot copper Liver Birds. Liverpool Town Hall, over at Exchange Flags, is an 18th-century Grade I listed building topped by a statue of Minerva. And Liverpool ONE is the retail centre within easy walking distance of the waterfront, where the famous Liverpool sign sits. The Museum of Liverpool remains open on Pier Head, though the Maritime Museum and International Slavery Museum are closed for redevelopment and Tate Liverpool has moved temporarily to RIBA North at Mann Island.