Back in 2020 a passionate steering group was formed with the enthusiasm, energy and expertise to re-imagine and deliver a Lights of Leamington inspired festival for a new generation. They wanted to re-create and re-imagine a distinctive and memorable community-based, family-friendly lights festival right in the heart of the town centre. It’s a big idea and a big project!
In 2022 funding from the Arts Council England ‘National Lottery Project Grants’ was secured to run a feasibility study with the support of Curated Place, our delivery partner. The aim was to research, scope and consult to see how feasible a new festival could be, and make recommendations on how to proceed, including highlighting any limitations and funding requirements.
The research engaged over 300 people, via 10 in-depth interviews and workshops with over 70 stakeholders from community groups, commerce, the arts, local business and other interested organisations and individuals. Our survey was completed by 244 people, with 89% expressing excitement about the idea of a new Lights of Leamington festival and 41% of respondents reflecting on memories of the past festival. Many more people engaged with posts on social media, and much was learned. The research also identified February, as a time in the calendar when there is an opportunity to attract new audiences to the town centre, which is a departure from the historic summer/autumn festival timing.
Heading into 2023, work progressed as the wider political and funding landscape changed. In November 2023 the project was awarded some Warwick District Council UK Government Shared Prosperity Funding alongside many other local projects. This included funds to improve the gardens and to help continue developing the idea of a new ‘Lights of Leamington’ inspired festival.
In early 2024 a project manager (Kate Livingston) was appointed, and the team refined the idea of a reimagined Lights of Leamington festival to meet community and strategic funding objectives, alongside applying for further funding to deliver it. We also identified a critical need for this work to contribute positively to the town centre and wider community, and for any new festival to utilise and develop local talent and creativity and grow sustainably year by year.
Building on this, the feasibility study uncovered an exciting opportunity to unearth and capture past stories, images, videos and memorabilia. Whittle Productions, took up this challenge and successfully secured National Heritage Lottery Funding in August 2024. Called ‘Switched on Stories’, this project will unearth, catalogue, archive and showcase the history of this magical and culturally significant festival.
“There has never been anything else in the town quite like it.”
Alongside this a new festival called ‘Spotlight’ has been developed. Taking place in mid-February 2025 and reflecting the historic festival, this will feature various events, trails, installations and activations in town centre venues and gardens. The aim is to work with local organisations, invite the community to help, and where possible, collaborate with other strategically relevant lights festivals. We are still looking for funding (in-kind and actual) to support this, so please get in touch if you can help in some way.
Both ‘Switched on Stories’ and ‘Spotlight’ are inspired by the Lights of Leamington. Tapping into this history, we hope to capture the ambition, experiences, and stories of the past. This will inform a new community-orientated festival, that treats visitors to a kaleidoscope of installations, music and performance, that we can build on year on year into the future. Our vision is for a family-friendly, socially inclusive experience to light up Leamington Spa in a multi-sensory, environmentally-conscious, distinctive, and memorable way.
We look forward to you joining us on this exciting journey.
So what was the previous festival like?
The original ‘Lights of Leamington’ ran between 1951 and 1961 and our predecessors set the bar high with fantastic and fun installations, performances and more.
The festival took place throughout August and September each year – at times launching in late July and ending in early October.
Scroll down to see some archive images from the past festivals.
Switched On Stories
In August 2024, the incredible team from Whittle Productions, successfully secured National Heritage Lottery Funding to uncover the full Lights of Leamington story. Called ‘Switched on Stories’, this project aimed to unearth, catalogue, archive and showcase the history of this magical and culturally significant festival. This information was presented for the community to see in February 2025 and is collated on it’s own website!
Please visit ‘Switched On Stories’ here and discover this past magic! SwitchedOnStories,co.uk
A Quick Glimpse At the Past
Please enjoy a small selection of images from this glorious historic festival!
To view more historic images held by the Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum – please click here. The Leamington History Group is also an excellent source of information – please click here.
