Skip to content

Illuminated artworks shine a light on Birmingham

John Bray
BBC News, Birmingham
BBC Red light poles on a circular metal frame outside a Birmingham railway stationBBC
Flux is a kinetic light installation from Collectif Scale made of rotating lights in Snow Hill Square

Visitors to Birmingham will be greeted by a city of blinding light as the dark winter nights are illuminated by pop-up artworks.

The four-night Birmingham Light Festival launched on Wednesday evening with 11 artworks dotted around the city centre.

Alongside the illuminated artworks, more than 50 events are running across Birmingham.

These include a night-time kayak paddle along the city centre canals and a 5km run around all the installations.

A woman next to a large fruit machine-style installation with three "push to spin" buttons. Above the machine are the words "positive spin"
Positive Spin is a five-metre (16ft) high installation from artist Liz Harry at the Mailbox
A front door on the concourse at a railway station, next to platform 5a. The white door has a light shining from underneath
At Birmingham's New Street Station, Un-Real Access, by Kappa, is a locked door with radiant light shining from underneath
An outsize illuminated light bulb next to water fountains in a modern city centre square
Ideas Happen Here, in Newhall Square, is a light bulb that highlights the history of the Jewellery Quarter in innovation, manufacturing and design. It has been created by Rough Diamond, RAWLS and Taylex
A narrowboat with colour lights on board. The vessel is heading towards a series of golden-lit restaurants across three levels at the Mailbox in Birmingham
The Canal & River Trust brought an illuminated narrowboat into the city centre via Gas Street Basin
Brightly coloured fibre-optic cables of blue, yellow and red, laid out on a church green
Artist Stevie Thompson used delicate fibre-optic lighting to create Mycelium Network in St Paul's Square, Jewellery Quarter
An illuminated poem. A hundred years and the dream never ends. All out tomorrows are fragile. The peace builders are heroes of kindness
Peace Poem, by Emergency Exit Arts, marks 100 years since the first day of peace after World War One and illuminates the words of poet Robert Montgomery
Craig Lewis An illuminated blue sign in front of an office block reading Alright Bab, exclamation markCraig Lewis
Created by Brumbox and Taylex Group, Alright Bab! is a well-known Brummie phrase on display in Colmore Square
Gold and silver fairy lights suspended high over a road next to the stage door at a theatre
The Roof of Stars on Thorp Street by Lite Limited adds a dash of colour by the stage door entrance at Birmingham Hippodrome
People playing on two badminton courts in a square. The net is illuminated and so are the shuttlecocks
Badminton England are behind Night Badminton in Centenary Square with illuminated shuttlecocks
People wearing headphones at an open air silent disco with green lights
Designed by Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces, Floor is LAVA x Silent Disco offers the chance to dance - as long as you avoid the red lights that resemble volcanic lava

Birmingham Light Festival has been produced by Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces in partnership with Colmore Business Improvement District (BID), Central BID, Jewellery Quarter BID, Southside District and Westside BID.

The event runs until Saturday night from 18:00-22:00 GMT.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

More on this story
Related internet links