Lumiere 2025

Lumiere returns for three nights of spectacular light art, transforming the streets of Durham into an illuminated art gallery from Thursday 13 - Saturday 15 November 2025. Discover more about Durham University and Lumiere.

Lumiere returns to Durham University

We are excited for the return of Lumiere to Durham and to once again support the event as a partner. Three installations will be hosted on University buildings and land, with light art at Palace Green, the Waterside Building and South Bailey helping Lumiere to light up Durham from 13-15 November.

Tickets will be available from 10am, Tuesday 30 September for Durham County residents and from 10am, Wednesday 1 October for general release. Image credit: Festa delle Luci A2A - Light is Life

Explore the full programme for Lumiere 2025

An artwork made up of long bamboo poles lit up red to give the impression of fire and energy, set in an open space at night-time.

Changes to ticketing for 2025

To help to cover the increasing administrative costs of ticketing and managing the event, there will be a booking fee of £1.50 per ticket this year. Installations outside of the central zone remain free to visit without a ticket. For more information, please check Lumiere's FAQs page.

Lumiere FAQs

Our ground-breaking research that inspired Lumiere 2023

Professor Nicole Westmarland from Durham Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse was involved in the development of On Blank Pages, which explores the state of the UK justice system. Carlos Frenk, Ogden Professor of Fundamental Physics worked with Spanish artist Daniel Canogar on Universal Loom. While The Durham Energy Institute was part of the team behind Diamond Garden, that focused on themes of sustainability.

Explore Our Research

Student orchestra from behind facing a conductor

Student Life at Lumiere

Discover more about how our students recorded the soundtrack to the centre piece of the 2021 Lumiere Festival. Explore Durham by night with English graduate Ruby, and winter in Durham with international student Tia. Criminology graduate Cynthia also covers this must see event in her blog.

Read our student stories

Lumiere 2023 Trailer

Lumiere 2023 was the biggest yet in Durham, with world-renowned artists Ai Weiwei and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer featured in a programme that illuminated the city. Visit the Lumiere archive to explore over 40 international artworks, including a selection of works in Bishop Auckland, as part of a biennial spotlight on the wider Durham County.

Explore 2023's artworks

Look back and see how our beautiful medieval city underwent an incredible re-imagining at the last light art biennial.

Lumiere

2021

Discover the full Lumiere programme Our Lumiere Archive

Two female students in front of an illuminated light bulb art display at night

Jim Campbell's renowned Scattered Light 2021 (US) incorporated almost 2,000 LED bulbs which flickered to create the illusion of figures moving across St Mary's College terrace.

Little lantern houses lit from within shown through the lens of a camera phone

City of Light City of Stories 2021 by @non_bumble.q our #DULumiere Instagram competition winner 2021.

Three students in front of a planetary light art display on the outside of the Ogden Centre

CHRONOS 2021 by Epsztein & Gross (France) was a video-mapped projection and soundscape that took the viewer on an audio-visual voyage through time from the Belle Epoque and the Industrial Revolution, through to the present day.