LNER Announced as Official Travel Partner of Light Night Leeds 2026

Taking place on 28 and 29 October 2026, Light Night Leeds will once again transform the city centre with spectacular illuminated artworks, installations and performances from local, national and international artists, attracting over 200,000 visitors to experience Leeds after dark.

As Official Travel Partner, LNER will provide a convenient and sustainable way for visitors to travel to the festival from destinations across its route. The partnership comes shortly after the train operator introduced new super-low fares between London and Leeds, with selected Advance tickets available from just £12, or £8 with a Railcard, helping make the city and its world-class cultural offer more accessible than ever.

Alongside its role as Official Travel Partner, LNER is sponsoring ‘Far, Far Away’, a major six-part projection artwork co-commissioned with the British Library and created by Hungarian art collective Lightspray Visual. Inspired by fairy tales and stories from the British Library's collection, the installation will transform Briggate into an immersive journey through magical forests with mythical creatures and enchanted worlds.

Stuart Thomas, Communications Director at LNER, said:

Light Night Leeds is one of the UK's most exciting cultural events, showcasing the creativity, imagination and vibrancy of the city. We are delighted to be supporting the festival as Official Travel Partner and helping customers travel sustainably to experience everything it has to offer.

“We're particularly proud to be sponsoring 'Far, Far Away'. Encouraging reading and opening up access to stories has been a major focus for LNER throughout the National Year of Reading, and this installation is a wonderful example of how literature can be brought to life in a way that inspires people of all ages.

Courtney Spencer, Principal Curator and Producer of Light Night Leeds, said:

We are delighted to welcome LNER as the Official Travel Partner of Light Night Leeds 2026. As one of the UK's leading rail operators, LNER shares our ambition to make culture accessible to as many people as possible while encouraging more sustainable travel.

“Their support will help us welcome visitors from across the country to experience the festival, while their sponsorship of 'Far, Far Away' demonstrates a genuine commitment to creativity, culture and inspiring imagination. We look forward to working together to deliver another spectacular Light Night Leeds.

Over the past year, LNER has taken part in an extensive programme of reading and family-focused initiatives, including its Book-ed for the Journey campaign, an onboard book club with bestselling author Matt Haig, the Story Time Express with Sir Michael Morpurgo, summer literary events with Sara Pascoe, the distribution of thousands of free reading resources and the introduction of dedicated family reading spaces at stations across its network.

Light Night Leeds is expected to attract visitors from across the UK, with LNER helping connect communities along its route to one of the country's most anticipated cultural events.