Briggate Zone
8. Portal: Another Path
Artists: Zhiyan Cai (UK)
Churchyard of St Jon The Evangelist’s Church, 23 New Briggate. LS2 8JD
Level access via Merrion Gardens, Merrion Street
3D ILLUSION | NATURE | IMMERSIVE
Discover a secret garden hidden within the city. This three-metre light installation combines forced perspective with projection mapping to create a surprising spatial illusion. Seen from the side, it appears as a glowing, animated surface. Move around it, find the perfect viewpoint and watch the image open into a deep garden corridor stretching into the distance. Inspired by the tiny creatures that inhabit urban green spaces, Portal: Another Path encourages us to pause, change our perspective and notice the living world woven through our everyday journeys.
Commissioned through the SHINE Emerging Artist Programme
W3W: form.hedge.gave
9. Fractures: Where cultures connect through
Artists: Opera North (UK)
Howard Assembly Rooms, 32-34 New Briggate LS1 6NU
IMMERSIVE | MUSICAL | ATMOSPHERIC
Step inside an immersive meeting of music, light and cultures. Inspired by Jasdeep Singh Degun’s award-winning Orpheus, Fractures brings the world of Monteverdi’s Orfeo into conversation with the rich traditions of Indian classical music. Led by Musical Director Kaviraj Singh on santoor, live performances of harpsichord, voice, cello, tabla and electronics unfold throughout the Howard Assembly Room. Artists from Indian, Western classical, folk and electronic traditions create a spellbinding shared soundscape, revealing what can emerge when familiar musical forms are opened, layered and reimagined together.
W3W: region.host.atoms
10. Field of Dreams Remix
Artists: Northern School of Contemporary Dance (UK)
Leeds Corn Exchange, Call Lane LS1 7BR
ENERGETIC | BRIGHT | LOUD
Enter a world of movement, light and queer nightlife created by final-year students from Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Working with artists Christopher Matthews and Joseph Mercier, the performers respond to Matthews’ installation Field of Dreams, a constellation of rotating disco lights that transforms the space for gathering and dancing. Field of Dreams Remix explores the joy, freedom and collective imagination found within club culture, alongside the grief felt when these vital spaces disappear. Energetic and reflective, the work celebrates the communities built beneath the lights.
In partnership with Northern School of Contemporary Dance and Rushbond.
W3W: barks.spent.smoke
11. Far, Far Away
Artists: Lightspray Visual (Hungary)
Briggate LS1 6LH
ANALOGUE | PROJECTION | OUTDOOR
Follow a trail of light along Briggate and step into an enchanting fairy-tale adventure inspired by the British Library’s collections. Journey through deep, dark woods towards a distant palace, encountering curious creatures, mysterious spells and unexpected surprises along the way. Classic stories by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen meet ideas imagined by Leeds schoolchildren, brought vividly to life at an extraordinary scale. Created using repurposed overhead projectors, this playful analogue artwork transforms familiar tales into a glowing journey through the city, complete with a happily ever after.
Co-produced by the British Library.
W3W: corn.zips.store
12. IOLA 2.0 and her Robots
Artists: Global Grooves (UK)
Trinity Leeds, Main Atrium LS1 5AR
INDOOR | BUSY | LOUD
Meet IOLA 2.0, a sparkling robot queen from the future, and her extraordinary troupe of illuminated dancers and drummers. Pulsing with colour, rhythm and playful mechanical energy, these larger-than-life performers transform Trinity Leeds into a futuristic celebration. Follow the beat, watch the robots move and get ready to party like it is 2999. Loud, joyful and impossible to ignore, IOLA 2.0 and her Robots offers a brilliantly eccentric glimpse of a world where artificial performers know exactly how to light up the night.
W3W: sports.hotels.hers
13. Light Night at the Leeds Library
The Leeds Library & Chapel FM (UK)
18 Commercial St, Leeds LS1 6AL
ATMOSPHERIC | ILLUMINATED | HISTORIC
Step inside one of Leeds’ most atmospheric historic spaces and experience the city’s oldest surviving subscription library in a new light. Gentle illumination reveals beautiful reading rooms, hidden corners and architectural details shaped by more than 250 years of stories. Wander through the building as volunteers from The Leeds Library and Chapel FM share live readings from favourite books and literary treasures. Whether you are a lifelong reader or simply curious to explore this remarkable city-centre landmark, you will find a warm welcome and a quiet place to pause, listen and reflect.
In partnership with Chapel FM.
W3W: critic.kind.page