Nine Cities Fight The Blight Of Booze With Light Nights

Nine of Britain’s biggest cities are banding together this winter to test the continental idea of Light Nights as an antidote to the drinking culture that has swamped the notion of 24-hour cities.

Luminous trapeze artists, torchlit tours and hundreds of people dancing in white clothes after midnight will kick off the programme in Leeds this week, after talks with Barcelona and Italian towns where la notte bianca is a long-standing cultural success.

Trial events in Leeds last year were a hit, with families effectively reclaiming the central area from its ever-increasing number of “vertical drinking” bars. A fortnight of events included a marching bagpipe band, concerts on rooftops and film projections on building facades.

The size of crowds watching and taking part in the various spectaculars has triggered this winter’s initiative, which will see Belfast, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Sheffield and Reading join in. Nottingham was added to the list this week with a Light Night confirmed for February and Liverpool is planning an event in January, at the start of its year as European capital of culture.

The programme, one of the biggest joint cultural exercises undertaken by city councils in Britain, has been nurtured by the Association of Town Centre Management, which is expected to add a £500,000 grant to the budgets of the different festivals. The association’s development director, Martin Blackwell, said: “We saw the potential of Light Night when we took delegates from seven cities to Lake Como earlier this year. The Italians put on 47 special trains, 200,000 visitors took to the streets and you couldn’t walk for the crush at 3 o’clock in the morning. We believe that Light Nights can transform people’s view of UK city culture, as well as acting as a beacon for tourists all over the world.”

The initiative follows frustration in cities such as Leeds that their centres, while clearly booming, are known more for alcohol than the original 24-hour city ideal of liveliness and a range of facilities – shops, cinemas and galleries as well as bars – open round the clock.

The main celebrations will initially focus on one night – this Friday in the case of Leeds – but with associated events continuing for two weeks. Organisers in each city hope that Light Night culture will spread, encouraging more people towards live entertainment.

Almost all events will be free and local bus services will be extended.

Deborah Sanderson, artistic director of Urban Angels whose trapeze artists disguised as spiders, insects and birds will recreate a rainforest canopy over Leeds’ main shopping street, said: “Who wouldn’t want to switch off the TV to experience this? Light Nights are about theatricality and skill, but also audience involvement. Leeds and the other cities after dark are going to be different places.”