Although for some, mid-January might be one of the dreariest times of the year, for many of the visitors to London Lumiere, it is one of the highlights of the month, and certainly one of the most outstanding features in photo collections. The light festival, being the UK’s largest, began in Durham in 2009, with 75,000 people attending over the course of the four days it was held, and this number rose to 1.3 million in 2016 when it was held in London.

Lumiere returned to London this year on 18th January for four days where over 50 works of art were displayed around the capital, designed by various international artists. The installations use coloured lights to project mesmerising displays on to iconic locations and landmarks.

Westminster Abbey is perhaps one of the most famous artworks at Lumiere London, with intricate lights projected onto it, an extremely colourful design by artist Patrice Warrener. The festival includes installations in Trafalgar Square, King’s Cross, the West End and more, which adds to the excitement of exploring the city, and even interacting with some of the artworks, including Mayfair’s ‘Impulse’, which is a set of seesaws that light up when hopped on.

Alice Blackman, local Londoner who attended the festival, commented: “I just had the most fantastic evening. It felt like a treasure hunt, exploring parts of London that I normally pass through without thinking of them. Throughout the night I was blown away on several occasions as I turned a corner and saw the most amazing displays. Even after gazing for a long time at Westminster Abbey, I still couldn’t believe it hadn’t actually been painted in real luminous colours, the projection was so vivid.”

Carrie Wyncoll, Sydenham High School