Nottingham Light Night

About

Nottingham Light Night
Friday 6 & Saturday 7 February 2026
Nottingham City Centre
From 5pm until late
FREE event

Nottingham Light Night will return for its 18th year in 2026!

The city will be illuminated after dark for this free, family-friendly event, allowing visitors to explore landmarks, streets and hidden corners. Immersive and interactive light-based installations, performances and activities will be taking place across Nottingham over the two nights.

Printed guides can be picked up from the Tourism Centre on Smithy Row leading up to the event, and at key locations on the day. Attendees can also plan their itineraries and read more about all the installations using the free It’s in Nottingham app. 

Architecture Social Club presents Parallels at Old Market Square, an immersive installation that merges architectural light and sound. Using thousands of laser beams, it creates vivid light environments that surround and engage spectators. 

At Sneinton Market Square, discover The Cat That Slept For A Thousand Years*. Air Giants’ inflatable, decorated light sculpture invites visitors to stroke or cuddle the huge creature and feel its deep, rumbling purr, as if slumbering by the fire at home. 

Outside Nottingham Castle, an intricate fibre-optic display, Mycelium Network, will surround the Robin Hood Statue. The soft, glowing light will spread out from the base of the statue to symbolise the legend of Robin Hood taking root in Nottingham.

The resident creative community at Sneinton Market Avenues presents Electric Avenues – a myriad of projections, shadow play, live music, candles of remembrance, and much more.

Nottingham College will transform its outside space into a vibrant Creative Showcase, featuring performances from students and local music groups and choirs. Inside the City Hub, see an exhibition of student light installations, projections, and short films.

Obelisk of Connectivity is an illuminated sculpture created by Nottingham-born artist Chloe Smith. After spending nine years in New York developing arts projects, she has returned to her hometown to reconnect with its creative landscape. Intricate, geometric patterns based on vintage lace have been incorporated into the design, to reflect Nottingham’s lace and textile heritage. The Obelisk will be placed outside St Mary’s Church.

Nottingham Light Night has also commissioned a brand-new work at Trinity Square, a collaboration between local artists AyUp Puppets and Made by Raccoons. Move with Marina is a striking 2-metre-tall octopus lantern with moveable limbs that can be puppeteered by the audience.

Another new commissioned work is LIMB at Nottingham Castle – a fascinating light sculpture made from waste plastic, forming a multi-layered, floating molecular structure. Designed by 3 Things Studio, the lighting changes through visitor movement, at times an energetic dance, at others serene and subtle. 

It’s in Nottingham presents the much-loved Light It Up Duckie once again, with giant glowing yellow ducks appearing in shop windows. This year, more than 100 local businesses are participating, each adding their own creative flair by decorating and naming their duck. The playful pieces encourage visitors to explore Nottingham’s streets, enjoy the imaginative window displays, and share their favourite ducks on social media using #LightItUpDuckie

There are many more installations and activities to experience across the city centre, including at Nottingham Trent University, City Arts, Nottingham Central Library, Broadway Cinema, National Justice Museum, and Nottingham Contemporary.

Light Night is produced and funded by Nottingham City Council and It’s in Nottingham. Cultural organisations across the city also support the event.

*The Cat That Slept For A Thousand Years is commissioned by Manchester Museum, part of the University of Manchester. 

*The Cat That Slept For A Thousand Years has received £15,000 from East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) from funding provided by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).