Visitors and locals alike will be able to see Harrogate in a completely different light next month thanks to a spectacular new festival.
Beam – a brand new light festival presented by Harrogate International Festivals – will illuminate some of the spa town’s most iconic buildings and green spaces using lighting beams and projections to transform the architecture and landscape.
The festival, which takes place on March 15 and 16, will light up the town centre from dusk till 10pm each evening.
A number of landmark spaces, including Crescent Gardens and the cenotaph, will be animated with lights and soundscapes designed by the internationally renowned Leeds-based artist and lighting designer James Bawn.
Visitors can explore the town’s streets and watch the light artworks come to life and enjoy Harrogate’s renowned hospitality along the way, as Beam brings light, fun and colour to the town centre, brightening up the last of the winter evenings.
The event, led by the arts charity and supported by Future 50, North Yorkshire Council, Visit North Yorkshire and Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID), is free for everyone. Business owners in the town and members of the local community are encouraged to get involved by creating their own lights and putting them on display in their windows to enhance the trail.
Beam follows on from the success of a number of large-scale outdoor events in recent years, including the Fire Garden and the post-covid Fire & Light Festival.
Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID Manager, said: “Harrogate BID are thrilled to continue our close partnership with Harrogate International Festivals and Beam will be another fantastic occasion to celebrate this further. With anticipated increased footfall and spend for our members, a new and unique Harrogate experience delivering our objective of a ‘Vibrant Town’, we cannot wait to see Beam come to fruition and really put Harrogate on the map.”
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for culture, arts and housing, Cllr Simon Myers, said: “Beam demonstrates the importance of free to attend events to animate our communities and ensure access to the arts for the widest possible audiences. Large events like this are an opportunity to celebrate the spaces which we live and work in and enjoy, and Beam is sure to present the town in a brand new light.”
Fiona Movley, Chair of the Future 50 Appeal, welcomed the news. “Harrogate International Festivals Future 50 Appeal was created to ensure the widest possible access to the arts for our community, and to develop artists of the future. We are excited to light up our town and shine a light on the creative talent we have in our region,” she said.