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Lost Christmas carol inspires light festival

Barnsley Council A picture of a town square, with several hundred people with their backs to the camera as they look up at a large animation projection covering the front wall of a cinema building.Barnsley Council
Thousands gathered for last year's Bright Nights festival

A winter light festival has been inspired by a "lost" Christmas carol that was rediscovered by archivists 90 years after it was written.

Barnsley bottle-maker Arthur Godfrey composed "Christmas Eve" in 1933 and it has now been chosen as the theme for the Bright Nights event in the town centre.

The festival features illuminated artworks, performances and display and runs from 22-23 November.

Last year 24,000 people visited Barnsley for Bright Nights, an increase of 45% compared to 2022.

Barsnley council A person dressed in a large pale coloured bird puppet outfit is leaning over a child in a buggy with adults surrounding the buggy and looking on.Barsnley council
The event includes street artists and a parade through the town

The festival will open with a multimedia projection in Glass Works Square and live choir performances.

The Saturday programme includes an illuminated parade featuring inflatables, hand-crafted lanterns, music and community groups.

Barnsley council Around 20 people are standing around the edge of a large art installation made up of brightly lit tubes twisting around each other in a loose, haphazard spiral shape.Barnsley council
Art installations are located across the town for the festival

The event, which is now in its seventh year, is funded by Arts Council England, Barnsley Council and key partners including The Glass Works, Barnsley College, the Alhambra Shopping Centre and Barnsley Civic.

The festival involves 12 months of planning, Barnsley Council said, and is part of the Light Up the North network alongside Leeds and Liverpool.

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