Illuminated dragons and fairy-tale projections: Light Night Leeds returns this October

Illuminated dragons and heroic young adventurers are set to transform Briggate next month as Light Night Leeds returns to the city's streets for its 2026 edition.

Taking place across two evenings during the October half-term, the UK's largest annual light and arts festival will feature over 40 free installations and interactive artworks dotted across central Leeds.

This year's festival is centred around the theme 'A City Speaks…', exploring the personal stories, historic landmarks, and people that shape Leeds.

Fairy-tale on Briggate

Among the headline installations announced for 2026 is Far, Far Away, a major new six-part projection co-produced by Light Night Leeds, the British Library, and Hungarian art collective Lightspray Visual.

Illuminating the shopfronts along Briggate, the artwork uses repurposed overhead projectors to tell an analogue fairy-tale story.

Audiences will follow a group of children travelling through deep woods toward a magical palace, encountering curious creatures, mysterious spells, and surprises along the way.

Inspiration for the piece was drawn from classic tales by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen in the British Library's collections - alongside imaginative ideas from local Leeds primary school pupils.

A knight drawn by one of the schoolchildren has even been incorporated directly into the final projection.

Kenn Taylor, Senior Culture Manager at the British Library, said: "We are delighted to be back at Light Night Leeds. 'Far, Far Away' is a beautiful project and we are excited for audiences to experience the joy and wonder of fairytales through Lightspray's work.

"Our collaboration with Light Night Leeds is part of our wider commitment to engage with local people and partners in the city and beyond—and to open our collection to everyone in the region through events and activations."

Mathematical Magic at Civic Hall

A second major highlight will take over the façade of Leeds Civic Hall in a unique collaboration with City of Maths, for which Leeds has been designated as the inaugural host city for 2026 - 2027.

Created by Belgian artists Nele Fack and Niels Blondeel, the piece - titled In Dual Light - explores the mathematical concept of duality, demonstrating how two seemingly different forms can represent the same underlying structure.

The rhythmic, bold projection uses dividing, overlapping, and reconnecting shapes to showcase the creative side of mathematics.

First launched in 2005, Light Night Leeds has grown into one of the region's largest cultural events, attracting tens of thousands of visitors to the city centre each autumn.

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, said: "Each year, Light Night Leeds brings thousands of people together to view impressive light projections and immersive experiences. "This year it will be a true celebration of our city and plays a huge role in supporting our local businesses and economy, raising the profile of Leeds as a cultural destination.

"We’re thrilled to be working with the British Library and City of Maths on these two key projections and can’t wait to see them transform our city in October."

Light Night Leeds takes over the city centre on October 28 and October 29, with light installations glowing across the city from 6pm to 10pm each evening. The entire festival is completely free to attend for all ages. To plan your route, explore the interactive map, and browse the full line-up of over 40 artworks, head to the Light Night Leeds website.