River of Light 2026

River of Light returns to Liverpool from Friday 23 October to Sunday 1 November 2026. It's a ten-night festival of light art, and this year it's running under the theme Together.

If you've been around the city for a while, you'll know it as one of our autumn fixtures. It started back in 2017, growing out of the city's bonfire night fireworks and evolving into its own thing—more of a light-art festival than a traditional display. It's now in its ninth staging, and it turns the centre into a giant outdoor gallery. You do it your own way, walking a self-guided loop of around 3km past the dock buildings, the Three Graces and the Liverpool ONE district.

This edition brings 13 artworks to the city, including Dream Herd, POP! POP! by Gentilhomme, LOOP and Unity. Every single piece is a European or UK premiere, so you won't have seen these anywhere else before. The festival is also pushing further inland this time, spreading beyond the waterfront into new sites. The installations are scattered across the city centre: Pier Head, Royal Albert Dock, Exchange Flags, Williamson Square, St Paul's Square and Liverpool ONE, with pieces at both Paradise Place and Chavasse Park.

It's free and unticketed, so you can just turn up and wander. The lights are on from 5pm to 9pm each evening, and there are Quiet Hour sessions on 28 October and 1 November from 4pm to 5pm if you'd rather see them when it's a bit calmer.