More plans revealed for new light festival in Morecambe

Monday, 6 February 2023 08:51

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Cyclists are invited to 'bling up their bikes' as part of Morecambe's new festival of light

New details have been revealed about Morecambe's debuting festival of light - including a parade along the Prom and a homage to the town's Illuminations of yesteryear.

Baylight ’23 will feature illuminated exhibitions along Morecambe Promenade from February 16 to 18.

The new free family festival will include the work of internationally recognised light artists from the UK, Spain, the Netherlands and more.

There will be 17 installations in all, sited along the trail between the Sailing Club Jetty and the Midland Hotel/Stone Jetty, providing opportunities for photos and social media sharing.

The free light art trail will be open, in the dark, from 6pm to 10pm.

Attractions will include:

- An immersive 'Illumaphonium' next to the sailing club hut

- Five Angels of Freedom next to the RNLI boatshed

- Laser Lights you can control with your phone in the gardens

- A homage to the Morecambe Illuminations

- The soothing meditation of Harmonic Portal

Town centre pubs and restaurants will be open for the duration for warm drinks and snacks for visitors.

Organisers Morecambe Sparkle CIC have released a map of the light trail.

Baylight ’23 will include a community parade on Friday February 17 from 5.45pm to 7pm.

The parade will begin at the mountain landscape just past the Clock Tower at around 6.15pm.

It will be led by the Baybeat band and will end at the back of the Midland where Samba Espirito drumming group (pictured below) will take over.

The parade should last about an hour after which everyone is free to go and view all the installations as normal and enjoy the event.

Community workshops will be taking place in the run-up to the festival, where people can make lanterns and glow stick sculptures to use in the parade.

The workshops take place on Monday February 13 and Tuesday February 14 at More Music on Devonshire Road (lantern-making) and on Friday February 17 at Johnny’s Warehouse Bar on Marine Road Central (glow stick sculptures).

Cyclists also also being invited to 'bling up your bike' and add to the spectacle of Baylight '23.

Organisers also set local schools a task with a competition to draw a circular design called a GOBO showing off the Bay area.

Six designs have been chosen as winners and these will be turned into projections that will light up the old Queens Hotel on Marine Road over the duration of the festival.

Schools taking part were Sandylands, Trumacar, West End, Lancaster Road and St Peter's.

All the entries will be displayed at The Winter Gardens during the event.

Baylight '23 will be run by the Morecambe Sparkle CIC (Community Interest Company) which was set up to reimagine illuminations in Morecambe for the 21st century.

Organisers say that many of the exhibits reflect or symbolise the beauty of Morecambe Bay’s environment and, with a rising tide in the evenings, the installations will be reflected in the water.

Funding has come from Lancashire County Council which has awarded £425,000 towards Phase 2 of the project over two years from its £12.8m Economic Recovery and Growth Fund, with match funding from Morecambe Town Council and Morecambe BID (Business Improvement District).

Morecambe Sparkle CIC has also received pledges of more than £120,000 over four years, with £20,000 from Morecambe Town Council and £12,500 from Morecambe BID.

Organisers are looking for volunteers to help out at the festival.

More details here.