The North East mayor has called for a U-turn on the decision to bring one of the region’s top attractions to an end after this year.
It was announced on 16 October that 2025 will be the final edition of Durham’s Lumiere festival.
Organisers said that the spectacular light show required “investment and commitment at a level that is increasingly difficult to secure”, as they promised a “love letter to Durham” when it returns for the last time this November.
Bringing Lumiere to a close after 15 years has been described as a joint decision between Durham County Council and producers Artichoke.
But Labour mayor Kim McGuinness told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that it was “not the time to cut one of the region’s most successful events” and that she hoped the decision could be reversed.
Andrew Husband, the Reform UK leader of Durham Council, said it was “not the end of light art or major events” in his country and expressed hopes that “ Lumiere or another world-class event for County Durham can be delivered with the support of regional investment”.
Senior officials want to double the number of tourists coming to the North East over the next decade, with our region reported to have by far the fewest number of international visitors of anywhere in the UK.
Image: Andrew Husband/X
According to VisitBritain, the estimated number of international visits to the North East fell 6% in 2024 to 429,000 and the amount of money spent by overseas visitors dropped 30% to £252 million.
Lumiere is said to have attracted 1.3 million visitors since its introduction and added more than £43 million to the local economy.
Ms McGuinness, said: “I am very disappointed that this has been allowed to happen and that the event team behind Lumiere have been forced to make this announcement. Now is not the time to cut one of the region’s most successful events.
“Lumiere has been a phenomenal success story for the North East and I know it holds a special place in the hearts of local people. It is a world-class event and I love to see residents from towns and villages across Durham and beyond having a great time at the festival each year.
“It’s a huge shame to see it ending. For me, Lumiere always highlights our immense regional pride and I was pleased to provide funding towards the event this year. I know thousands of people want this event to continue and I want to see what is possible – I can’t make promises but I hope we can find a way to reverse the council’s decision and keep it going.”
The mayor’s office provided just under £250,000 to support the delivery of 2025’s Lumiere and confirmed it had received no request from either Artichoke or the county council for funding in future years.
Coun Husband said: “The decision for Lumiere 2025 to be the final edition was made jointly by the council, as commissioner of the event, and Artichoke, its producer. We have kept Arts Council England closely informed as a key funder.
“While this is the final event in this format, this is not the end of light art or major events in County Durham. We remain absolutely committed to supporting culture-led regeneration and a key motivation behind this decision is to provide the space for us to engage communities and partners across the county and shape an ambitious and innovative programme of events that is fit for the future.
“We appreciate the North East Mayor’s offer to join us in looking at how Lumiere or another world-class event for County Durham can be delivered with the support of regional investment. As a constituent local authority of NECA, it is entirely appropriate that the Mayor provides constructive support for County Durham and helps us achieve our shared objectives of supporting the visitor economy in the county and region and strengthen the infrastructure here needed to support world class events.”
Artichoke told the LDRS that there are “no plans currently” for Lumiere to move to another part of the country.
The London-based events company added: “Artichoke continues as an organisation delivering major public art projects across the UK and is proud of the legacy that Lumiere leaves, not just in the lights, but in the cultural spirit it has ignited. We hope that the passion for the arts and the creative energy it has fostered will continue to inspire new initiatives and events within the city and county for years to come. The goal has always been to build a lasting foundation for a vibrant cultural scene, and we believe Lumiere has achieved this.”
