River of Light, Liverpool’s iconic free light art festival that attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the city, has released the next set of artworks for its 2026 edition, taking place from 23 October to 1 November.
Delivered by Culture Liverpool, the theme of the festival this year is, ‘Together’, with all installations focusing on how light brings people closer in a joyful way.
Three artworks have already been announced – POP! By Gentilhomme, Dream Herd by Amigo and Amigo, and Loop by Olivier Girourd and Jonathan Villeneuve.
An additional nine artworks have been revealed today with Culture Liverpool confirming there is still more to come.
The nine further artworks that will take over Liverpool City Centre for River of Light 2026 are:
– Invisible Cities by Atelier Sisu
– Flower Power by SPECTACULAIRES – ALLUMEURS D’IMAGES
– The Anooki by Inook
– Unity by Amigo and Amigo
– Paradigm by This is Loop
– Colour Rush by Liz West
– Today I Love You by Massimo Uberti, presented by Light Art Collection
– Coloured Peonies by TILT
– The Stars Come Out at Night by Stellar Creates.
This year, the festival will be expanding into new locations across the city, with Culture Liverpool partnering with Liverpool Accommodation BID to ensure artworks are not just on the waterfront but across the city centre in new sites including Williamson Square and St Paul’s Square.
Details on all the artworks and a map of the trail can be found at: www.visitliverpool.com/riveroflight
Cllr Harry Doyle, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture said: “As summer comes to an end, we’re looking forward to the return of River of Light this autumn.
“Excitement is already building for the joy and colour it brings to the streets of Liverpool each October half term, and I am proud that Culture Liverpool continues to stage something so ambitious that is free, accessible, and enjoyable for residents and visitors of all ages.
“In line with this year’s theme of ‘Together’, I hope that friends and families are already planning their trips to come and see these amazing artworks that transform our city into a spectacular giant outdoor gallery.”
Annie Brown, General Manager at MGallery and Chair of the Accommodation BID said: “River of Light is exactly the kind of event that makes Liverpool such a great place to visit, and it has a really important role to play in supporting our city centre economy. It brings significant footfall into the city at a time when we want to encourage people to visit, stay longer and experience everything Liverpool has to offer.
“For our accommodation businesses, events like this are a fantastic opportunity to drive overnight stays, giving visitors another reason to book a hotel, extend their trip and spend more time in the city. That increased footfall also benefits restaurants, bars, shops and attractions, creating a positive ripple effect across the wider city centre.”
Harriet Lumby from This is Loop, artist of Paradigm said: “We are really excited to be coming back to River of Light in 2026 debuting our brand-new sculpture, ‘Paradigm’.
“The theme of ‘Together’ for this year’s event really struck a chord with us and we hope audiences can see how our new work explores that. Working with Culture Liverpool and spending time in the city is always a highlight of our calendar – we can’t wait to discover what else the event has in store.”
