Light Up Returns

Start the festive season in style at the National Coal Mining Museum’s Light Up Festival

Returning to the National Coal Mining Museum on Friday, 22 November, Saturday, 23 November and Sunday 24 November is their highly anticipated Light Up Festival.

A free, three-day festival featuring a dazzling display of illuminations, light, art and performance that will enchant visitors of all ages.

This year’s festival will feature a stunning array of light displays, including mesmerising projections by Yorkshire artist Fabric Lenny. Using illustrations and animation he has brought the history of mining to life, through bright and bold artworks. Projections feature canaries, pit ponies and local wildlife, which will be displayed onto the museum’s iconic buildings.

One of the highlights of the festival is the arrival of the stunning Sentinel sculpture. Inspired by the coal mining canaries it symbolises hope and resilience. Sentinel is a large-scale and immersive artwork by Studio Vertigo. It’s sweeping curves are inspired by the protective wings of a canary, drawing on Wakefield’s renowned coal mining heritage. Canaries are held dear at the National Coal Mining Museum, having saved many lives down the pits.

Visitors can also immerse themselves in a cutting-edge VR experience, created by Wakefield based arts organisation One to One development, who use film, game design, XR and other creative approaches to work with communities, The immersive experience brings the history of coal mining to life in an interactive and engaging way. ‘Revealed – The Pit Camp’ allows people to explore memories and stories of the 84/85 Miners Strike using VR technology. Archive film, audio recordings, soundscape and historical documents bring this monumental moment in time to life, making it relevant for audiences today.

Adding to the festive spirit, Santa will make a very special appearance, arriving at the museum to make his journey underground.  There he will stay, meeting with families, sharing gifts and capturing Christmas wishes until he returns to the North Pole on Christmas Eve.

The festival, which has been funded through the generosity of Wakefield Council through the Connecting Culture grant as part of the Light Up Wakefield series for Our Year 2024, will offer lots of pop-up activities including fire artists, storytelling, carols and music from Hade Edge Brass Band.

There will also be a delicious selection of food and drink from the café and stalls, so people can try lots of tempting treats and refreshments to keep them warm and cosy. It’s the perfect time to pick up a unique gift idea with a range of Yorkshire themed products on offer in the Museum shop.

Ending the three-day extravaganza will be a magical lantern parade on Sunday, 24 November at 5pm. The night will be illuminated with lanterns of all shapes and sizes, creating a magnificent parade that will light up the evening sky. The lanterns have been made by the local community including volunteers from the museum, local school children and groups. It will give people the opportunity to come together with their colourful creations and parade while being accompanied by the Hade Edge Brass Band.

Lynn Dunning, CEO of the National Coal Mining Museum England, said: “We are excited to welcome visitors from near and far to the Museum for our annual Light Up Festival. It’s important that we celebrate our rich heritage of coal mining, and it will be brought to life through stunning light displays, interactive experiences, and festive activities. It’s not only a magical way to start the festive season but the perfect way to find out more about our past. We can’t wait to share this enchanting experience with families and friends, on what will be an incredible three days.”