The River of Light trail along Liverpool's waterfront opens to the public on Friday.
The theme of this year’s outdoor illuminated trail is 'United By Light' paying tribute to the United By Music strapline - used when Liverpool hosted the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine in May 2023.
The event showcases several installations created by local, national and international artists. Once open, people can walk along the two-kilometre River of Light trail for free and see the 12 installations that can be found along the route from various artists.
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River of Light trail dates and times
From Friday, October 27 to Sunday, November 5, River of Light will illuminate the city centre from 5pm to 9pm.
River of Light will also be organising a 'quiet hour' for this year. This will take place on Sunday, October 29 and Wednesday, November 1 between 4pm and 5pm.
River of Light trail Liverpool map and things to see
Three of the twelve installations will have a nod to Eurovision.
United By Music - New York-based design firm Yellow Studio - founded by Julio Himede – will bring its 10-metre round, multi-purpose performance space to River of Light for its debut, paying tribute to the music of Eurovision 2023. The installation includes six songs from this year’s competition.
Ukrainian Dreams - This new commission will see the vivid and wildly imaginative works of Ukraine artists Tais Poda and RocknLight brought to life in an audio-visual installation. It will express the hope and pride of Ukraine through the work of Maria Prymacenko. Composer Dmytro Saratskyi has provided an original Ukrainian folk score to accompany the piece.
Our Beating Heart - Art and design collective Studio Vertigo are bringing back ‘Our Beating Heart’ from Eurovision. The heart-shaped mirror ball will be returning with a dancing light show.
NOVA - Another Studio Vertigo piece, NOVA is based around a transient astronomical event which causes a star to quickly increase the strength of light it emits.
Night Whisper - Sydney-based art studio Amigo & Amigo are back for River of Light with European premiere, Night Whisper - a piece inspired by the movement of moths around light. Featuring a giant luminescent light bulb with multiple moths suspended in the light.
GLOW – This world premiere is the second installation by Amigo & Amigo and features a giant interactive light installation inspired by the cycles of the moon, with over 40 different sounds and animations, the audience is invited to move and play throughout.
Florescentia - From the Latin word for ‘blossoming’, Florescentia is inspired by the phenomenal natural transformations found in the biology of plant life and is created by Australian artists Atelier Sisu. The piece incorporates movement, light and a soundscape illustrating the blend of the mechanical and the natural composed by Miles Nicholas.
Labyrinth - This modular colourful Art-chitecture and temporary playground is driven by an exploration of the golden ratio and its connection to the Fibonacci sequence, once again created by Atelier Sisu. Each module of Labyrinth is positioned to create a unique colourful and immersive experience for audiences.
Emergence - An installation with meditative qualities, focusing on the mood-altering power of light and sound with visitors being encouraged to explore the three-by-ten metre pavilion which is made up of mirrors and more than 10,000 LED lights. It will reflect its surroundings and a choreographed light show will be accompanied by a captivating soundtrack. The work has been created by globally acclaimed artists This is Loop.
The 'Lampshades Bouquet' - Created by the French artistic studio TILT who are inspired by everyday objects into giving them a twist of humour and poetry. Expect gigantic outdoor versions of a household lamp, curated in a very special way which will light up in a variety of colours. A bench at each bouquet’s base makes it the most unique location to take the weight off.
'Elysian' and 'Elysian Arcs' - Two never-before-seen commissions courtesy of Sydney-based design studio Atelier Sisu. Encouraging people to find joy in the every day, a giant inflatable creation will allow people to walk around and through it as colour reacts to light and form. Liverpool-based award-winning composer John McHugh has been chosen by Atelier Sisu to produce a new soundscape for both the Elysian artworks.
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