Overview
- Organisers shut six pieces on opening night because of rising river levels, then confirmed every attraction reopened on Friday.
- The 2025 programme spans Durham and Shildon with more than 30 light artworks and runs each evening through Saturday.
- North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said she was not consulted on the decision to end council funding, drawing a rebuke from council leader Andrew Husband, who called her response a “cheap political stunt.”
- Husband says the previous administration set 2025 as the last of the current editions and that a formal review is proceeding to secure a sustainable model or an equivalent flagship event.
- Lumiere has drawn more than a million visitors and an estimated £43 million for the local economy, as costs have risen to about £2.5 million this year with support from Arts Council England, the county council and other backers; producer Artichoke says sustaining the required investment has become increasingly difficult.