Derby’s festival of light
Here at TopThingsToDo, there’s nothing we like better than twinkling lanterns so we were delighted to hear about the spectacular festival of light taking place in Derby this week. Gleam, as the festival is officially known, is timed perfectly to fill the rather flat week between our two favourite celebrations—Bonfire night and Christmas.
Gleam lights up Derby
Last weekend, the festival opened with a spectacular display of light installations in and around Derby’s Market Place and Cathedral Quarter, headlined by digital fireworks in the Quad created by light artists Seeper.
Derby in a whole new light
Every evening this week, Derby residents and visitors will be able to follow a light trail around the Cathedral Quarter, mapped out by dedicated Gleam lanterns and marvel at the original projections that light up historic buildings along the route as well as light installations in shop windows.
On Friday, the city centre will be taken over by a community lantern parade that promises to be simply spectacular, with 500 young people, musicians and members of the public carrying lanterns made by the locals in schools and community workshops in recent weeks. The parade kicks off at Arboretum Park at 5.30pm, and will travel through the city for an hour, arriving at Market Place at 6.30pm, where dance and musical performances influenced by Indian, African and Far East Asian cultures will take place.
The show doesn’t stop there: the entertainment will move to Cathedral Green for a River Fire Display at 7.30pm, with lantern displays, fire drawing and fire fountains.
Shine on me: Derby’s Gleam festival
On Saturday, the festival draws to a close—but the lights will keep on shining as Derby’s Christmas lights are switched on in a star-studded event hosted by Ram FM.
As Alan Grimadell, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture, attests: “We live in a wonderfully multi-cultural city and Gleam is the opportunity for us all to celebrate this magical time of year together—whatever our faith or culture.”
