River of Light festival returns to Liverpool

The fantastic River of Light festival will return to Liverpool next month (Friday 1st to Saturday 9th November) and there will be ten stunning free light installations lighting up the city centre!

The ten commissions – the majority of which have never before been seen in the North West – will become part of the city’s landscape and for nine evenings are set to be the must-visit selfie-spots. 

As part of a longer, new-look festival, the hugely successful River of Light fireworks will also return for one night only on Sunday 3 November when once again the River Mersey becomes a stage for Titanium Fireworks – one of the world’s leading pyrotechnic companies.

Two simultaneous displays, from the Waterfront in Liverpool and as part of Wirral’s Borough of Culture year in New Brighton, will start at 6.30pm with a soundtrack featuring artists and songs that have been big in the city this year. 

The light installations that will be on display during the festival are:

Spiders 

The waterfront side of the Cunard Building will be getting an arachnid makeover as spider-shaped light sculptures appear on the façade, courtesy of French artists Groupe Laps. Runs 5-10pm each night.

Globoscope

Located in the courtyard at Liverpool Parish Church, this immersive sound and light journey is made up of more than 200 luminous spheres. It has been designed by critically acclaimed French arts company ‘Collectif Coin’. Runs 5-10pm each night.

Intrude 

Australian artist Amanda Parer will bring her crowd-pleasing, large-scale glowing, inflatable rabbits who will make Exchange Flags (behind Liverpool Town Hall) their new home. Runs 5-10pm each night.

Run Beyond 

A single figure will dominate the skyline of the Royal Albert Dock Liverpool as viewers can track their leap to freedom in a consecutive sequence. Created by Italian artist Angelo Bonello, he wants the artwork to represent the leaps we make at points in our lives. Runs 5-10pm each night. 

Submergence 

Taking over Mann Island Atrium, this large, immersive and responsive walkthrough experience uses thousands of individual points of suspended light to transform its environment. It’s the brainchild of Squidsoup which is one of the UK’s leading digital augmentation companies. Runs 5-10pm each night.

Portal

A brand new commission; three large-scale kaleidoscopic images will transform the inner quayside of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, responding to human movement and dance. Local artist Sam Wiehl is responsible for the hypnotic artwork. Runs 5-10pm each night.

Liverpool Jackpot

The Plaza Building on Old Hall Street will become the canvas for a set of neon lights which playfully comment on the city’s history and resilience. Originally commissioned in 2007, the piece has been brought back by Liverpool Biennial and Liverpool BID Company as a signal of Liverpool’s future ambitions.Runs from 5-10pm each night.

Flight

River of Light will kick-start a brand new, illuminated chapter for the Royal Liver Building as they unveil Flight – a six-minute light show which will be a permanent installation once the festival has finished. The show will take place every 30 minutes from 5-9.30pm. 

Whole Hole 

A light portal to another dimension will appear on the wall of Wapping Dock (near the M&S Arena and Convention Centre) created by Dutch artists Vendel & de Wolf. Runs 5-10pm each night. 

Cetus

Taking inspiration from the Cetus constellation, an underwater display in the Mann Island basin will see the area come alive with this multi-sensory artwork created by The Kazimier. As the sun sets, the water will shimmer and pulsate mimicking the ancient Greek myth of the sea monster Cetus. Runs 5-10pm each night.

All River of Light installations are completely free to access. As part of the longer, new-look festival, the hugely successful River of Light fireworks will return for one night only on Sunday 3 November as once again the River Mersey becomes a stage for Titanium Fireworks – one of the world’s leading pyrotechnic companies. Two simultaneous displays, from the Waterfront in Liverpool and as part of Wirral’s Borough of Culture year in New Brighton, will start at 6.30pm with a soundtrack featuring artists and songs which have been big in the city this year.  

For the latest information, head to www.visitliverpool.com/riveroflight and use #RiverofLight #WinterLights on socials. 

For accommodation, check out our luxury city centre apartments.

Image: Submergence at Canary Wharf Winter Lights ©Nunzio Prenna