Light Night Leeds moves into October half term for the first time, with two free nights of projections and light art across the city centre as Leeds marks 400 years since its first Royal Charter.
For twenty years, Light Night has been the October evening when Leeds city centre turns into an outdoor gallery. Buildings you walk past every day become screens. Squares fill with light, sound and a crowd that last year topped 200,000 people over two nights.
This year the timing changes, and it matters for families. Light Night Leeds 2026 falls in the school half-term for the first time, and the clocks go back the Sunday before. That means proper darkness by 6pm, the kids are off school, and nobody has to rush bedtime for a school morning.
Event dates: Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October 2026
Time: 6pm to 9.30pm both nights
Location: Leeds city centre, West Yorkshire
Admission: Free, no tickets needed
Programme: Full programme due to be published on the official Light Night Leeds website
What It Is
Light Night Leeds has run every autumn since 2005. It is one of the UK’s largest free light and arts festivals, and by its 20th edition in 2024 the council counted more than 1.1 million visits over its lifetime. Artists from Leeds, the rest of the UK and abroad bring work into the streets for two evenings only, and then it is gone.
Leeds City Council runs it with support from Arts Council England, sponsors and foundations. For 2026 the council expects more than 40 artworks across the two nights.
A City Speaks: The Theme and Leeds 400
This year’s theme is A City Speaks…, and the festival forms part of Leeds 400, the year-long celebration of the city’s first Royal Charter. Charles I granted it on 13 July 1626, making Leeds a free borough with its own corporation. The charter is held today by the West Yorkshire Archive Service.
The programme will explore the stories, people and places that have shaped Leeds over those four centuries, and where it might go next. Expect the city to talk about itself, quite literally, on the sides of its own buildings.
What to Expect at Light Night Leeds
The confirmed format includes large-scale projections, immersive artworks and light installations, as well as performance and interactive pieces. Past editions have spread the work across the city centre, so the evening works best on foot, moving from one piece to the next.
The big change this year is timing. In previous years the projections could only start once it got dark enough later in the evening. With the festival now after the clocks change, the council says the large-scale projections can begin at 6pm alongside everything else, for the first time. For families with younger children, that is the difference between seeing the headline pieces and missing them.
On a late October evening in Leeds, the air has a real edge by seven, and the loudest sound in a square is often a crowd going quiet as a projection starts to move across old stone.
The individual artworks and their locations have not been announced yet. The council said the full programme would follow at the end of September, so check the official site before you set off rather than relying on last year’s map.
When and Where
Light Night Leeds 2026 runs on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October, from 6pm to 9.30pm each night, across Leeds city centre. Both nights are free, and there is nothing to book for the main programme.
Visit Leeds also lists an accessible evening on Tuesday 27 October from 6pm. Details had not been published at the time of writing, so check the official programme to confirm whether this is the evening that suits you.
Getting There
Leeds railway station sits in the city centre, which makes the train the simplest way in for most visitors. Travel arrangements for the festival nights, including any extra buses or park-and-ride details, will be confirmed in the programme. Check the official site and West Yorkshire Metro before you travel, and expect the city centre to be busy both evenings.
Where to Stay
The Queens Hotel, Leeds. An Art Deco hotel on City Square, welcoming guests since 1937 and built as the flagship hotel for Leeds railway station, with its own entrance into the station.
Malmaison Leeds, Leeds. A restored Victorian building at 1 Swinegate, a short walk from the station, with 100 rooms and its own brasserie.
Where to Eat and Drink
Whitelock’s Ale House, Leeds. Opened in 1715 as the Turk’s Head, tucked down Turk’s Head Yard off Briggate, with a marble-and-copper bar and etched mirrors dating from an 1886 refit.
Trinity Kitchen, Leeds. A food hall inside Trinity Leeds on Albion Street, with permanent kitchens and a rotating line-up of street food vans, handy for feeding a family quickly before the lights come on.
Worth Knowing
- Leeds’ 1626 charter, granted by Charles I, made the town a free borough and is the starting point for the Leeds 400 celebrations this festival belongs to.
- Pubs and restaurants in the centre fill fast on both nights. Eat early, around 5pm, and you will be out in time for the 6pm start.
- Whitelock’s claims to have been the first building in Leeds with electric lighting in 1897, making it a fitting stop on a night built around light.
Practical Tips
- Check the official Light Night Leeds website for the full programme and map before you go; it had not been published at the time of writing.
- Dress for a cold evening outside: layers, a hat and waterproofs, as you will be on foot for most of the night.
- Arrive at 6pm. This is the first year the projections start that early, and the first hour is likely to be the best time for younger children.
- Agree on a meeting point with children in case you get separated in the crowds.
- Wear comfortable shoes and plan to walk between pieces rather than drive between them.
- Use the AllTrails app or your phone’s maps to plot a walking route once the installation map is published.
Reader Q&A
Is Light Night Leeds free?
Yes. Both nights are free, and you do not need a ticket for the main programme.
What time does Light Night Leeds start?
6pm. It runs from 6pm to 9.30pm on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October 2026.
Is Light Night Leeds suitable for children?
Yes. It has moved into October half term for the first time, so more families can come, and the earlier darkness means the big projections start at 6pm.
How do I get to Light Night Leeds without a car?
By train. Leeds railway station is in the city centre, and the festival takes place across the centre. Check the official site for any extra transport arrangements once the programme is out.
Four hundred years after Charles I signed its charter, Leeds gets two nights to tell its own story in light, on its own streets.
If you are planning more autumn days out, our guides to Halloween events in Yorkshire and Yorkshire family events cover the rest of half term, and Mrs Doubtfire in Leeds follows in November. Browse more in our Events section.
