Nicola MacdonaldLumiere light festival welcomed more than one million visitors to its first London show on 14-17 January.
The popularity of the event, developed by Artichoke, meant that on 16 January some installations had to be turned off for several hours. King’s Cross Station was also temporarily evacuated due to overcrowding.
Helen Marriage, director of Artichoke said: “It’s been an unprecedented four nights for London and the turnout has been extraordinary. Over a million people came to experience something truly magical and unusual: this great world city turned into a temporary pedestrian playground. While the success of the festival did mean that contingency measures had to be put into place occasionally to help keep the crowds moving, the atmosphere has always been amazing. This festival has been about more than seeing the art. It’s about people sharing public space and re-discovering the city.”
The show featured 30 artworks by international artists at some of the capital’s most iconic locations. The show was supported by more than 200 volunteers and held workshops with 500 schoolchildren to create the Joining the Dots and Litre of Light installations.
Lumiere received support from a number of partners and sponsors, including London & Partners, King’s Cross, Westminster City Council and the Mayor of London.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “I am thrilled by the success of Lumiere London, which has brought a wonderful burst of imagination, colour and creativity to our city’s streets in the middle of cold, dark January. It could not have happened without the input and support of the many businesses and agencies who helped to make it happen. We have been astounded by the crowds, which exceeded all our expectations and brought a boost to the West End and King’s Cross and are delighted by the response, not just from Londoners, but visitors from around the world.”
Read more about Lumiere London in this month’s Access All Areas, out now