A celebration of art, performance, light and fire

The beginning of November traditionally sees the end of the world-famous Blackpool Illuminations for another season. This year the penultimate weekend includes the spectacular Lightpool Festival coming to town. The resort comes to life at night with over thirty light and sound art installations. Contributors include local, national and internationally-renowned artists. Perhaps most notably Yoko Ono, Bob and Roberta Smith and Mark Titchner.

IT’S LIGHTPOOL FESTIVAL 2016!

The festival of light forms a trail through the town centre, taking in historic buildings and re-imagining otherwise empty spaces in weird and wonderful ways. The finale week also sees live performance shows each night in the streets.

So on a spooky Halloween night, we packed our cameras for an adventure. We began our light art trail at Blackpool North train station. Armed with our trusty map we were ready to be illuminated. There was a ‘free tour guide’ option, but where is the fun in that. Also, the challenge was to find as many of these unique works as possible, often hiding in plain sight.

Our favourites include:‘Goodbye Coco’ (2004) by Michael Trainor. Hidden in the Sacred Heart Church, you are invited to attend the funeral of a fictional clown whose coffin is decorated with over five-hundred dazzling fairground lights. ‘When The Red Rose In Blackpool’ (2016) by Steve Messam. A surreal celebration of Blackpool’s architectural heritage sees an entire Victorian shelter wrapped in a mysterious bright protective bubble.

LIVE MUSIC FROM MR WILSON’S SECOND LINERS

However our highlight has to be the awesome procession from Mr Wilson’s Second Liners. A New Orleans-style funeral brass band playing Hacienda club classics. Absolutely worth checking out this high-energy act if you ever get the chance. Like a pied-piper for ravers, the band led revellers from the Comedy Carpet to St John’s Square in a joyful frenzy of nineties nostalgia.

Twisting my melon, man.