FAQ
WHAT IS LIGHT UP LANCASTER, WHEN AND WHERE IS IT?
Light Up Lancaster is a FREE 3-day family festival of light and art that will illuminate various locations throughout Lancaster city centre. It takes place over 3 consecutive evenings in November 2024.
DO I NEED A TICKET?
No. Light Up Lancaster is a FREE city-wide event with no ticket required. The installations and projections run constantly throughout the evening – so if you arrive and it is already underway, just wait a few minutes and it will start again!
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
This is an outdoor event and will take place in all weathers. Warm outdoor clothing, appropriate footwear and waterproofs (to be on the safe side) are essential.
WILL IT BE DARK?
Yes – all the installations take place after dark, where the beautiful light art looks its very best! Some are outdoors and some are indoors where there will be well-lit spaces as well as darker spaces to showcase the art.
WILL I HAVE TO QUEUE?
Yes, for some things – see ‘At A Glance’ at the bottom of this page. It’s worth coming on the Thursday if you can, or coming a little later on in the evening when it is likely to be a bit quieter.
If you don’t want to queue, there will be plenty of other things to see – there is no set route or itinerary to the festival – just view things as and when you want to!
WILL IT BE NOISY? WILL THERE BE SOMEWHERE TO SIT DOWN? SOMEWHERE QUIET TO GET AWAY FROM THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE?
Some installations use music or some kind of soundtrack, and maybe a little noisy.
If you feel overwhelmed, you can leave an installation at any point. All the pieces are very informal, and you can come and go as you please.
You can come and sit down at The Storey, Lancaster Library, the Market Square Food Market and The Dukes.
Lancaster Library will be softly lit, and will be a good location to relax for a while, away from the crowds.
In the lead-up to the festival, we will produce a guide which will tell you which installations might be noisy, which will have flashing lights, and which may have queues.
WILL THERE BE FOOD AND DRINK AVAILABLE?
There will be a tempting Street Food Night Market in Market Square run by LESS/Food Futures, and The Printroom Café in The Storey will be open each evening, and there will be food and drink stalls at the castle.
ARE ALL THE INSTALLATIONS WHEELCHAIR AND PUSHCHAIR ACCESSIBLE?
Due to the city centre location of the event, hard standing routes and dropped kerbs are present throughout the footprint of the event.
Some of the locations, as heritage buildings, may have some challenges to access and there may be alternate access routes – please ask a steward for information.
IS IT SUITABLE FOR DOGS?
You are welcome to bring your dog to any of the outdoor installations, however, do be aware that some installations may be a bit noisy!
The Storey welcomes dogs but would appreciate if you could keep your dog on a lead.
WHAT ARE THE BSL TOURS?
Specialist facilitator Martin, who is himself deaf and a British Sign Language user, and also a light artist, will take you on an illuminating tour of the festival, highlighting the artworks, their meanings and the processes behind their creation.
Please note: this is a BSL tour with no spoken English that is aimed at deaf, hard-of-hearing BSL users and fluent friends.
ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC TOILETS?
Yes. Public toilets are located at:
- Marketgate: Baby changing facilities are available, along with a breastfeeding room and junior sized toilets in the main toilets. Please note these toilets are open until 9pm each evening.
- The Storey
- The Dukes
- Lancaster Castle
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Lancaster Railway and Bus stations are located in the city centre and our city is easy to get around.
For more information booking your journey via train, visit Trainline
For more information on booking your journey via bus, visit Stagecoach
WHERE CAN I PARK?
Locations, charges and parking information (including electric vehicle charging points) can be found on the Lancaster City Council website.
Lancaster City Council offers free and time-unlimited parking for disabled drivers displaying a valid Blue Badge in all of its off-street pay and display car parks in Lancaster. Find Blue Badge parking in Lancaster here.
CONTACT US
Drop us an email on [email protected]!