Art producers, Artichoke has announced dates for Lumiere Durham 2025, the UK’s light art biennial. The hugely popular event will take place over three evenings this autumn, from Thursday 13 to Saturday 15 November 2025.
Produced and curated by Artichoke and commissioned by Durham County Council, Lumiere has attracted over 1.3 million visitors and boosted the local economy by more than £43 million since it began in 2009. Today it stands as a landmark event in the cultural calendar of the North East, and has put city and county on the international light art map.
For Lumiere’s 9th edition, a brand new programme promises to feed the imagination with magic and joy, transforming the city into an illuminated art gallery with spectacular artworks and exclusive commissions by UK and internationally renowned artists. This year, Lumiere 2025 will continue to enchant visitors and locals in a revised format, taking place over three evenings, from Thursday to Saturday, 13-15 November.
Beyond the lights, Lumiere’s established Learning & Participation programme and volunteering opportunities have benefitted over 14,000 local people and schoolchildren since 2009, inspiring ongoing artistic ideas and providing learning resources across the county. Lumiere 2025 offers new opportunities for the local community to take part in and develop skills, showcasing County Durham’s creativity on a national stage.
Artistic Director of Artichoke, Helen Marriage says
“We’re so excited to be returning to Durham to programme the next edition of Lumiere, the landmark cultural event in the North East. As well as providing a unique platform for some of the world’s greatest artists, and giving everyone the chance to see great art, Lumiere has been consistent over the years in bringing tangible benefits to the local community, building the local economy and training local kids. It is made is possible only because of the amazing partnerships forged over the years with Durham County Council, Arts Council England and Durham’s local institutions and businesses who all invest in the event to bring wider benefits to the community.”
Lumiere Durham is a central pillar of The Culture County, the long-term creative regeneration strategy born out of the Durham 2025 UK City of Culture campaign.
To be the first to know what’s happening and learn about the 2025 programme, sign up to the newsletter at the event website, Lumiere-festival.com.