Leeds Light Night: City lit up in 'playful' light spectacle

A giant display of illuminated playing cards was among dozens of dazzling installations on show to kickstart one of the country's biggest arts events.

Thousands of people ventured into Leeds on Thursday for the return of the city's annual Light Night festival.

The two-night spectacle, themed around a playful city, features 50 artworks, many projected onto major landmarks.

It included the House of Cards display which sees 128 light boxes, each taking the form of a playing card, light up.

At The Queens Hotel a projection entitled "Joyride" reinvents the building as a futuristic, digital rollercoaster ride.

The artwork, a new commission for 20222 by Greenaway & Greenaway, features crazy rides set against a backdrop of music.

The imposing 172-year-old lifting tower on Wellington Place, once used to hoist wagons from the passenger line at the original Leeds Central railway station, hosted Zauberin des Mondes, a modern twist to the tale of Rapunzel made by artists from Leeds's twin city of Lille.

LED drummers in the Trinity shopping centre captivated crowds with their high-impact show featuring vibrant illuminations and thundering drums.

Across at Leeds Civic Hall, visitors got a chance to take control of LUX, a high-tech homage to the classic video games of the 1980s, played out across the historic building's façade.

Inside Leeds Art Gallery, interactive installation Light Organ filled a room with 40 8ft-tall (2.4m) light pipes, each changing colour as they reacted to sounds.

Poet Ginalda Tavares-Manuel was one of several artists to perform at the installation, reading her work as she helped the lights change from pink to blue to white.

She said she was happy "to be a part of this beautiful installation, with such a talented group of people".

"The lights and the energy bring me genuine joy and excitement," she said.

Light Night, now in its 18th year, regularly attracts more than 100,000 people to the city centre.

Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council's executive member for economy, culture and education, said Light Night had "once again raised the bar for culture in Leeds".

"Watching tens of thousands of people and families interact with familiar places and spaces while enjoying spectacular artworks from all across the world is an inspiring sight.

"As we look ahead to 2023 and our year of culture, it also makes a huge statement about what makes Leeds such a unique and exceptional city."

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