Light night attracted thousands of people to Worcester city centre for the first ever festival last night.

David Edmunds, Festival Director, Severn Arts said: “I am so thrilled with the response and particularly with the number of people interacting and engaging with the Festival. Everyone has worked so hard to pull it together and it’s brilliant to see the appetite from the public for this kind of event. I’m excited for what we have to come. I think the fantastic local reaction is a real endorsement for our Festivals going forward.”

For one-night Worcester’s High Street and Cathedral Square were transformed into a magical, illuminated stage set brought to life with the procession and performances by Cirque Bijou’s Umbrella Project and Spark! Worldbeaters LED drummers, the stunning selection of interactive light installations and walk about artists - Lampshade Ladies (Kitsch n Sync) and TV Heads.

Added to this, responsive work by recent graduate Thomas Brown and University of Worcester Creative Media students were on show in Crowngate and the University’s Art House.

Amongst the crowds were lots of locals as well as visitors from further afield, all taking in the Festival and making the most of the evening filling up the many bars and restaurants available as well.

The see-saws recorded an 34,455 cycles!

Festival visitor and Worcester resident Jo Oxholm said: “It was fantastic to see the centre of Worcester buzzing with activity and anticipation on a dark January evening. We loved visiting the different installations and really enjoyed the ambient sounds and mellow feel of Halo before the carnival atmosphere of the Spark! Drummers and the beautiful umbrellas lit up the High Street. A great way to start 2020.”

Light Night Worcester is the first of four new festivals taking place in Worcester’s city centre in 2020. Atmosphere is the second, taking place on Saturday 25 April, Disrupting the Norm the third, taking place from 6 – 11 July and Worcester’s International Story Festival is the fourth, which will take place in October. For more information visit : www.thearchesworcesterfestivals.co.uk