The time has come, Light Night Leeds is about to transform the city into a dazzling array of illuminated artworks.
In case you've been living under a rock, Light Night Leeds is the UK’s largest annual arts and light festival that will return this Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 October 2025 from 6 – 10pm.
Celebrating its 21st year in the city, this year’s festival will welcome a mesmerising array of new creations as well as some popular artworks from previous years making a comeback.
With a colossal programme of artworks to view, we’ve highlighted ten of the best pieces covering all locations which you won’t want to miss out on.
Portals: The Machine of Worlds
Where: Leeds Civic Hall, Millennium Square
When: Wednesday and Thursday, 6.45 - 10pm
Image: Light Night Leeds
Portals: The Machine of Worlds is a visual and sensory journey through imaginary worlds. Led by a mysterious hot air balloon and incorporating fantastical imagery from books in the British Library’s collection by writers including HG Wells and Jules Verne, we are invited to enter universes of science, illusion and discovery.
Each portal reveals a new reality, from the discovery of stars or the invention of telescopes to spaceships, unknown planets and extraordinary creatures.
One Second Lovestory
Where: Queens Hotel, City Square
When: Wednesday and Thursday, 6.45 - 10pm
Image: Light Night Leeds
People rush past each other on the train station platform in the morning, moving closer then apart. Everyone has their eyes glued to their path to reach their destination on time.
The everyday routine of two people is suddenly interrupted when their eyes meet and time stops. Dirk Rauscher has adapted and extended his animated graphic novel especially for The Queens Hotel, adjacent to Leeds train station.
Spirograph Reimagined
Where: Brodrick Hall, Leeds City Museum
When: Wednesday and Thursday, 6 - 10pm
Image: Light Night Leeds
Celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Spirograph toy which was originally invented by Leeds engineer Denys Fisher. Many of us have fond childhood memories of creating satisfyingly perfect hand-drawn roulette curves.
In the magnificent circular hall of the City Museum, a visual animation unfolds with analogue patterns evolving into dynamic digital shapes which rotate, pulse, appear and disappear, eventually disintegrating before our eyes.
Beacon
Where: St John The Evangelist's Church, 23 New Briggate
When: Wednesday and Thursday, 6 - 10pm
Image: Light Night Leeds
Susie MacMurray often makes work that deals with binaries: internal/external, darkness/light, body/self, certainty/doubt. Her process tries to find balance within conflicting elements. Beacon is a site specific artwork for Leeds’ oldest church, St John’s, with glowing, bodily coils entwined around its central pillars.
You May Find Yourself in a Beautiful House
Where: Headrow House
When: Wednesday and Thursday, 4pm - 12am
The entrance to Headrow House houses a digital exhibition of their iconic rooftop neon signs from the last decade. It features song lyrics from the likes of Talking Heads, Whitney Houston, The Streets and more.
Additionally, on Wednesday only, you are invited to relax in Solas, an audio-visual listening space inspired by the Irish word for light, brightness and illumination. With live visuals and ambient DJs, Solas is an enchanting place to leave your worries behind and immerse yourself in a sanctuary of music and light.
Molecular Clouds
Where: Hyatt Hotel, Sovereign Square
When: Wednesday and Thursday, 6.45 - 10pm
Image: Light Night Leeds
This interactive projection explores themes of climate change through mesmerising imagery. It reveals greenhouse gases which are invisible to the naked eye and invites us to actively engage with the molecules as they float up into the atmosphere. The artwork evokes the natural world through exquisitely drawn images of the trees, accompanied by the sounds of nightingales.
Connection
Where: The Churchyard of Leeds Minster
When: Wednesday and Thursday, 6 - 10pm
Connection explores the deep, unseen bond between a tree and the earth from which it draws life. Delicate threads trace invisible flows of energy and water, weaving a luminous link between roots and branches. Crafted onsite amongst mature trees in the grounds of Leeds Minster, Ensing has created a space for quiet contemplation and harmony.
The Relic of Mirchwood Forest
Where: Churchyard of St John The Evangelist's Church
When: Wednesday and Thursday, 6 - 10pm
Image: Light Night Leeds
Here reside the last living ferns of Mirchwood, an ancient mythical forest driven to extinction purely by being forgotten. As its stories stopped being told, its trees vanished one by one. Now all that remains is protected in an enchanted terrarium, a living shrine to the primordial wisdom of plant life.
Living Lamp Posts
Where: Roaming between Albion Place and King Edward Street
When: Wednesday and Thursday 6.30–7pm, 7.45–8.15pm, 9–9.30pm
Image: Leeds Light Night
Standing at over ten feet tall, these noble and elegant Victorian lamp posts shine a quirky light on Leeds. Need a light? They can help with that. Trouble seeing in the dark? Let them be your guide.
To find out more, take a look at the Light Night website for all the installations across the city.
As one of the top ten places to live, as voted for by The Sunday Times, Chapel Allerton is a hive of community-spirit withlots to explore.
Back in 2021, The Sunday Times judges said that Chapel Allerton is: “a well supported independent high street – with a fishmonger, bookshop, cheese shop and much more – and an inspiring and imaginative community group, CA Spaces, make this urban village our favourite corner of Leeds.”
They’re not wrong. One of our favourite points about Chapel Allerton is its strong focus on supporting local businesses- there aren’t many places in Leeds, or indeed the UK, that you can visit a separate butchers, greengrocers, cheese mongers, wine store and more to complete your food shop with all locally grown and sold produce.
That’s not all that Chapel Allerton has to offer: there’s a host of indie cafes, plenty of green space and even a posh Aldi (whatever that means) that keeps this a family favourite place to visit.
Keep reading to find out what The Hoot recommends for a weekend in the leafy suburb…
House of Koko
62 Harrogate Road, Chapel Allerton, Leeds LS7 4LA
Images: The Hoot Leeds
The overwhelming success of the cafe is well-known about Leeds- and it comes with a whole host of raving reviews.
Bringing fine-dining to a laid back setting is a winning combination that House of Koko have got down to a tee in Chapel Allerton. The menu here comprises beautifully presented dishes like pancakes drenched in syrup and you can't leave without trying their famous hash browns...if you know, you know.
George and Joseph, an incredible Cheesemongers on Chapel Allerton high street, is the place to go for everything squeaky and delicious.
You can grab everything from truffle brie to charcuterie essentials like cooked meats, fresh sourdough and local low-batch bottles of booze to accompany your dishes. This truly is the place to shop local and experience some brand new tastes you’d never pick up in the supermarket.
Originally a bike clothing brand, Paria has grown from an online side hustle to a full time business online and in Chapel Allerton. There’s coffee from local roasters Hard Lines and sweet treats from Laynes Bakery to choose from, all whilst you browse the cool collabs on the wall.
Name a better duo than a nice cold pint and a fluffy bao bun...we'll wait. Because that's exactly what you'll find at Brew + Bao, Chapel Allerton's newest watering hole offering banging drinks alongside asian street food. A real match made in heaven.
Yoga Kula
114 Harrogate Rd, Chapel Allerton, Leeds LS7 4NY
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Looking to feel zen? Then look no further than Yoga Kula, Chapel Allerton's newest Yoga studio helping you to feel your absolute best.
The space is absolutely. beautiful and they offer classes for all abilities with lovely staff by your side every step of the way.
The Woods might be in the running for our favourite beer garden in Leeds, and since coming under new ownership by the legends at Roland's last year it's only gotten better and better.
It's the perfect spot for a sunny pint with mates whilst tucking into a couple of pizzas, a great oasis outside of the city centre that still has a lively feel about it.
Bloc Studios
31 Well Lane, Chapel Allerton, Leeds, LS7 4PQ
Images: The Hoot Leeds
If you haven't heard, Reformer Pilates is all the rage at the moment. And luckily for us, there's a fantastic little studio in Chapel Allerton where you can do it.
Bloc Studios is a gorgeous boutique space offering the very best reformer pilates classes. Whether you're a complete newbie or a seasoned pro, there's a class for you at Bloc to get your workout in.
Jacob Elordi says the sexiest thing about Yorkshire is ‘rocks and sheep’
Clementine Hall
As women around the world swoon over Jacob Elordi, he's too busy loving rocks and sheep.
In case you haven't been on social media over the past week and managed to avoid the influx of paparazzi images, the hotly anticipated 'Wuthering Heights' adaptation is out soon and with that comes heaps of red carpets, screenings and glamorous premieres.
Famously set against the brooding hills of Yorkshire, Wuthering Heights by our very own Emily Brontë follows the tumultuous love story of Heathcliff and Cathy.
Played in the upcoming film by Australian heartthrobs Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie.
During the recent London premiere where Elordi was seen wearing a rather dashing green three piece, the stars were asked what they thought the 'sexiest' thing about Yorkshire is by HitsRadioUK.
A valid question to which Jacob replies "rocks and sheep". I mean, he's got a fair point.
Margot Robbie went into a little more detail, she said "Sunrise and sunset in Yorkshire is a pretty dramatic experience. The sky is literally like red and orange. I honestly couldn't believe it when I was out there. The landscape is stunning."
Why thank you Margot, we absolutely agree. She continues to shower us with compliments stating that the "People are lovely. Pubs are great. I love it"
It seems like Margot has got Yorkshire pretty bang on there, and if she ever needs any pub recommendations then we'll absolutely help her out.
Jacob on the other hand, we know rocks and sheep are sexy but...have you ever met us?
Hopefully he fell in love with our county enough to come back, as we wouldn't mind bumping into him on a hike up the Yorkshire moors.
Clementine Hall -
21st October 2025 
