WE’RE SORRY, THIS EVENT HAS ENDED. PLEASE CHECK BACK NEXT YEAR.

Light Up Wakefield

Calendar Icon Fri 21 Nov 2025 - Sun 23 Nov 2025
Clock 17:00 - 21:00
Map Pin Wakefield City Centre
Tag Free
Star Part of Light Up 2025

Free event Family friendly

Activity Christmas Families Festival

About

Light Up Wakefield is back with more dazzling light art installations than ever before illuminating Wakefield City Centre!


Make sure to stop by the Event Hub in WX Wakefield Exchange and pick up a free trail map to locate all the art installations appearing across the city.


Unleash your imagination at ‘Let’s Draw’ where you can create designs for an ever-changing digital mural. Let the Norse mythology inspired ‘Ship of the Gods’ take your breath away. Journey through dreamscapes with ‘Rever’, a vivid symphony of radiance and sound. All this and so much more awaits you!


Discover more about the light art installations on the trail via our Digital Trail Map. There will also be lots of exciting fringe activity from our partners!


There will also be walkabout entertainment from PeaPea La Plume – a songstress extraordinaire! She is a larger then life drag queen, peacock and robot exploring Wakefield City Centre.


PeaPea La Plume starts from WX Wakefield.


PeaPea La Plume Timings:


Saturday 22 November: 5pm and 7pm


Sunday 23 November: 5pm and 6:30pm


Light Up Wakefield is organised by Wakefield Council


Note: You may see people selling light up balloons and other toys during Light Up Wakefield, however these are not connected with the festival and are not official Light Up Wakefield products.



Note: Rhythm of Rhubarb will no longer be going ahead due to unforeseen circumstances. We apologise for any disappointment and thank you for your understanding. However, visitors can still visit the Bull Ring to enjoy HALO by illumaphonium – a magical multi-sensory ethereal installation.


Access facilities

  • Accessible Car Parking
  • Accessible Toilet
  • Assistance Dogs Welcome
  • Audio Described
  • Baby Changing Facilities
  • Changing Places Facility
  • Step Free Access
  • Wheelchair Accessible

Event sessions

Light Up Wakefield

Venue Details

Find us at

Wakefield City, Wakefield, WF11HG

Open in Google Maps Visit website

Event Information

Travel Information

Car Parking

There are numerous off-street and on-street car parking spaces in Wakefield City Centre.

Find a full list with details here.

From Monday 17 November visitors can enjoy up to two hours of free parking in all Council-owned off-road long-stay car parks!

There is also parking available at Trinity Walk and The Riding Shopping Centre.

Bus

Wakefield Bus Station 

It is an approximately 2 minute walk from Wakefield Bus Station to WX Wakefield.

You can find more information about bus services to Wakefield on the Arriva website here.

Train

Wakefield Westgate Station

It is an approximately 11 minute walk from Wakefield Westgate Train Station to WX Wakefield.

You can find station details here.

Wakefield Kirkgate Station

It is an approximately 17 minute walk from Wakefield Kirkgate Train Station to WX Wakefield.

You can find station details here.

Accessibility Information

The Events Team at Wakefield Council are passionate about providing an enjoyable experience that is accessible to all.  

There will be staff, security, first aiders and contractors available to offer assistance throughout the event.

You can find them in Hi-Vis or Wakefield Council Uniform, look for ‘EVENT STAFF’ on their backs. 

Accessible Parking

The closest and most convenient accessible parking to WX Wakefield is Trinity Walk Shopping Centre or The Ridings Shopping Centre. 

Trinity Walk (WF1 1QQ) – 1,000 spaces with disabled parking located on the ground floor outside Sainsburys.  

The Ridings Shopping Centre (WF1 1DS) – They have in total over 1,000 spaces, including 43 blue badge holder spaces and 22 family parking bays all with direct access into the centre.

Accessible Toilets

There will be an accessible port-aloo available in Wakefield City Centre.

There are also accessible toilets within WX Wakefield and The Ridings Shopping Centre.

Audio Description

There is Audio Description of the sculptural light art installations on our website here.

Audio Description has been created by Mind’s Eye – the UK’s pioneering and award-winning audio description service. Mind’s Eye provides description of arts and culture that engages listeners and ensures equality of access.

Assistance Dogs

Assistance dogs are welcome to all areas of the event including WX Wakefield.

BSL Tours

Sign up to FREE BSL guided tours of Light Up Wakefield’s Light Trail.

The tours are delivered by Martin Glover, a Deaf BSL user, digital artist and experienced guide who will lead the tour during the event, exploring the nine light installations along the route.

Tours are free but booking is essential:

🔗 BSL Tour (Fri 21 Nov, 6pm-8pm) Book here.

🔗 BSL Tour (Sun 23 Nov, 5pm-7pm) Book here.

Please note: these tours are open to everyone but are specifically aimed at people who are d/Deaf and will be delivered in British Sign Language only. There will be no spoken English translation. Tours are limited to 20 spaces and must be pre-booked.

Changing Places

There are 2 Changing Places located in Wakefield at WX Wakefield and Trinity Walk Shopping Centre.

Easy Read Guide

You can find our Light Up Wakefield Easy Read Guide available to view here.

Sensory Warnings

The following light art installations on the Light Trail will have noise and flashing lights:

2. Ship of the Gods

5. Rever

8. Marbles

Site Description

WX Wakefield

WX Wakefield has full step-free access from their entrances and a full accessible lift on the ground floor by the main bar.

They also have Changing Places Toilet and Baby Changing Facilities.

Cathedral Precinct

The precinct is mainly flat and the area can be easily navigated around without having to cross many steps and inclines.

Translations

Paper copy translations of the Light Up Trail installations will be available from the Event Hub in Polish and Urdu.

There is also digital versions below:

🔗 Polish

🔗 Urdu

If you would like translations in another language, please use the Experience Wakefield ReciteMe function (click the eye icon in the top right corner of the webpage) to translate the Digital Light Trail Mapbox here.

Medical Facilities

Should you need any form of medical attention please inform a member of staff or security onsite where they can show you where the medical tent is located or request for a medic to come to you.

We do not have any secure storage for medicines on site. 

Further Questions

We are continually updating event information for Light Up Wakefield so please keep checking back on this page.

If you do have any queries or feel that there is anything we can improve on, we are open to suggestions!

You can contact the team at festivals@wakefield.gov.uk