Thousands of people filled the city’s streets this week for the fifth spectacular Light Night managed and delivered by local arts charity, Severn Arts.

For three hours each night the free programme of giant light-based artworks, colourful interactive installations, inspiring artistic commissions and walkabout artists transformed the city and entertained the crowds. This year’s offer included artists working with local community groups in Dines Green, Warndon and Wylds Lane and more opportunities for the public to get involved in the programme through dance and creative art.

Artists Lou Baker and Oly Bliss said: "We were thrilled by the incredible response to our Growing and Glowing installation. We’ve had nearly 3000 visitors of all ages in the days leading up to Light Night, enjoying taking part, with a wonderful sense of playful connection. We’re pleased that people have engaged with such curiosity and bold enthusiasm. Thank you to everyone who’s been involved and to the Severn Arts team for all their amazing support."

Anna Best from the Artery Studios said: "It was properly fantastic having the chance to be involved in Worcester Light Night 2024. The public response to Yasmin Agilah’s Neuro Diverse friendly installation was overwhelming. It was exciting to see almost 2000 people engage with our space and the artwork. For us it highlighted the importance of providing safe spaces for Neuro Divergent folk at busy public events. We’d love to develop this idea further! Thanks for the support Worcester and a huge well done to Yasmin!" 

Visitors talking to the event researchers have described this year’s Light Night as a colourful experience, amazing, innovative, fun, captivating, artistic and magical.

The food zone in Cornmarket was another popular feature of the event and city businesses such as Izzy’s Ices and Donuts, Dutty Vegan and Pack It In Zero Waste who stayed open late benefitted from the crowds.

Bev Mitchell from YUM Sweet Treats said: "We had a fabulous time at this year’s Light Night event, we were super excited to be invited back having traded with you for our first time last year. Our queues were non stop and there seemed to be even more people visiting this year which was fantastic. We saw lots of little happy faces enjoying the lights and heard lots of positive comments from many customers also. A fantastic free event for the City, we LOVED it!" 

Laura Worsfold, Severn Arts CEO said: “As always, we have tried to include something for everyone at this year’s event and have spread it out to enable people to discover more of Worcester and support traders and businesses, as well as offering a range of beautiful installations, inspiring public art and interactive displays. We widened our engagement to include more community groups in developing some of the pieces this time, and we just hope everyone had fun over the two nights. Now we start the call for next year and we need everyone’s continued support to enable this now well-loved event in the Worcester calendar to carry on delighting and inspiring people.”

This year’s Light Night has been filmed and photographed by University of Worcester students Lauren, Max, William and Kayleigh. Both video and photographs will be used over the coming days to encourage those who visited to complete an online survey. And over the coming months to support funding bids and sponsorship conversations for future Night Lights.

Light Night 2024 was managed and delivered by Severn Arts and supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and by local funders, supporters and sponsors: Worcester City Council  (Funded by UK Government), Worcestershire County Council, University of Worcester, Worcester BID, The Elmley Foundation, Sound & Art at St Swithun’s, BeFibre (Ltd), Startin Group, Guthrie Roberts Ltd, The Kiln, Crowngate Shopping Centre, PB Signs Ltd, All Saints Worcester, Visit Worcestershire.