Organisers of Newcastle’s festive light trail are celebrating the huge success of its second year, reporting almost 95,000 visitors during its winter run.
Northern Lights, which made its debut in the city‘s Leazes Park in 2023, returned with a new trail for 2024 which once again proved a hit with families. While numbers did not hit the 100,000-strong high of the previous year, the November 22 to December 31 event attracted a whopping 94,805 visitors and it is now setting its sights on an even more impressive treat for next time.
Its creator, family company From the Fields, is delighted with the reaction from the public to its latest mile-long trail, made up of 14 sparkling new installations plus a surrounding soundscape and a fresh take on a previous favourite – a laser garden of lights. It received rave reviews alongside the praise from families for its magical immersive experience.
From The Fields says Northern Lights was also recognised as one of the UK’s best Christmas light trails for 2024 by national publications The Times and TimeOut. Event director Roxy Robinson said: “Northern Lights Newcastle has been a truly magical experience and we’re thrilled with the feedback from visitors.
“We always aim to bring something fresh and exciting whilst keeping community and creativity at the heart of everything we do. It’s been wonderful to see so many people enjoying the trail and making festive memories together.”
She added: “We’re incredibly excited to continue to bring something special to the North East and we can’t wait to see how we can take this experience to even greater heights in the future.” The 2024 light installations were created by a mix of artists, including local talents, and also resulted from regional charity partnerships
Among these were collaborations with the Newcastle Hospitals Charity, which involved young patients at the Great North Children’s Hospital and musician Beccy Owen, and The Alan Shearer Centre whose centre manager Jackie Dunn said working with Northern Lights had been “truly inspiring” and had helped create unforgettable experiences for the children, adults and families it works with.
“From The Fields has brought an exceptional event to the North East and we couldn’t be prouder to be a part of something so magical and meaningful,” she said. Those wanting to receive updates about the next Northern Lights can sign up to its newsletter here.
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/dazzling-success-northern-lights-trail-30720536
