16/10/2025
Spice News 🗞️ 🌶️
After 15 dazzling years, Durham’s world-famous light festival, Lumiere, will illuminate the city for the final time next month.
Launched in 2009, the biennial event has drawn more than 1.3 million visitors and become a beloved part of the city’s cultural identity. But organisers have now confirmed that this year’s festival will be its last, citing rising costs and funding challenges.
Usually held over four nights in November, the 2025 edition has been shortened to three days, taking place from 13 to 15 November. Visitors can expect a “fitting farewell” as light transforms Durham’s streets, landmarks, and historic buildings one final time.
Highlights will include a forest of illuminated flowers outside the cathedral, a digital waterfall that responds to touch, and a glowing swarm of butterflies at Crook Hall. Art installations will also appear in Shildon, marking the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
Helen Marriage, Artistic Director and CEO of Artichoke, said the decision “had not been taken lightly.”
“When we first brought Lumiere to Durham, we didn’t know if it would work,” she reflected. “Fifteen years on, it’s become part of the city’s story — but to sustain a festival of this scale and ambition requires investment that’s increasingly hard to secure. So, rather than diminish what makes Lumiere extraordinary, we’ve chosen to close this chapter with a celebration.”
Councillor Andrew Husband, leader of Durham County Council, praised the event’s legacy, noting that Lumiere has generated over £43 million for the local economy and helped put the city “on the world stage.” He added that this is “by no means the end of light art or major events in County Durham,” promising new projects to continue inspiring residents and visitors alike.
Lumiere 2025 may be the last of its kind — but its light, quite literally, will leave a lasting glow in Durham’s story.
Photo Credit: PA Media
