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Four-day Lumiere light festival opens in London


14 January 2016

Some of London's most famous locations will be transformed by light installations for the Lumiere festival.

The free event, which is the biggest festival of its kind ever held in the capital, runs from 18:30 GMT to 22:30 GMT until 17 January.

Thirty locations will be illuminated around Piccadilly, Mayfair, King's Cross, Trafalgar Square and Westminster.

On Regent Street, a life-size animated elephant will appear from a dust cloud.


Dominic Lipinski/PA
Elephantastic! by Topla, design copyright Catherine Garrett, in Regent Street

Hannah McKay/PA
Janet Echelman's 1.8 London hovers above Oxford Circus

Visitors to Oxford Circus will see the multicoloured cloud of artist Janet Echelman's 1.8 London floating above them.

Ben Pruchnie/ Getty Images
Patrice Warrener's The Light of the Spirit on the front of Westminster Abbey

Patrice Warrener's The Light of the Spirit projects coloured light onto statues at Westminster Abbey.

And ethereal figures seem to fall through the air in St James's Square, where Cedric Le Borgne is showing Les Voyageurs (The Travellers).


Ben Pruchnie/ Getty Images
Cedric Le Borgne's Les Voyageurs in St James's Square

The illuminations float over the crowds in Piccadilly

Transport for London (TfL) have warned that roads will be closed and Tube stations will be busier than usual in the areas where the festival is being held.

A number of buses will be diverted or terminate early.

It has been created by producers Artichoke, who held a similar event in Durham.

As well as a "huge" production crew, the company has recruited volunteers from Team London, which supported the London Olympics, to help guide people around the installations.

"The arts should be free and available to everyone," Artichoke's director Helen Marriage told BBC London.

Hannah McKay/PA
Aquarium by Benedetto Bufalino and Benoit Deseille, in Grosvenor Square

The lights brighten up some of London's more traditional buildings

http://www.bbc.com/

Artichoke
Visitors to Leicester Square will be able to see TILT's Garden of Light

Matthew Andrews
Catherine Garret/Top'lá Design's Elephantastic will emerge from a cloud of dust in Piccadilly

Cedric le Borgne
Cédric Le Borgne's Les Voyageurs will be on display in the West End

Matthew Andrews
Luminéoles by Porté Par Le Vent will be floating along Piccadilly

Matthew Andrews
LED stickmen will be seen "running riot" over Liberty House

http://www.bbc.com/