The company behind the popular Lightopia light event held at Heaton Park and other UK locations has filed for administration - leaving many of the lights in the parks. The family-friendly light trail had become a popular annual fixture in Manchester, and returned to Heaton Park in November, running through to January 2.
The company also held Lightopia events at Alton Towers in Staffordshire and at Crystal Palace Park in London over the festive season. The company behind Lightopia, Outreach Creative Limited, filed for administration on January 9.
There has since been a delay to many of the light sculptures being removed from the parks involved. There were still some of the lights remaining at Heaton Park until earlier this week, and also at Crystal Palace Park in London.
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Images have been circulating on social media showing huge structures toppled over in Crystal Palace Park with deflated snowmen, upturned pixies and ripped decorations left on the grass. Lighting and sound equipment has also been pictured strewn across the car park at the council-owned site, as reported by MyLondon.
Meanwhile residents close to Heaton Park said they had noticed "random light sculptures" remaining in the park earlier this week. Manchester Council has today confirmed that all light sculptures have now been removed from Heaton Park, "bar a handful of lights left high up in trees".
Arrangements are being made to have the tree lights removed as soon as possible, the council has confirmed.
At the Alton Towers Resort in Staffordshire, the Lightopia sculptures stretched across the theme park for its Christmas events. They had not been removed by organisers at the close of the event in January on the date expected, so have now been moved to a "back of house area".
A spokesperson for Alton Towers Resort said: "Alton Towers Resort is working closely with the administrators to facilitate the removal of all equipment. The theme park is currently closed and all equipment has been moved to a back of house area.”
Administrators Begbies Traynor have confirmed they have been appointed as administrators to Outreach Creative Ltd, the company that runs Lightopia. The company has been contacted for further comment.
Hundreds of families had enjoyed the light event at Heaton Park which for 2022 returned with a "Christmas Story" theme. Ticketholders were able to journey into the Christmas realm, with giant luminous baubles, trees and presents.
There was also a Tranquillity Arch featuring vibrant swans and butterflies, and a path winding through the Mythical Forest. Visitors also got to experience Lightopia’s most recent addition, the Phoenix, which included an audio-visual show and light display.
Described on its website as "a magical vast interactive and immersive lantern and light festival", the Lightopia events are filled with thousands of lanterns and lights in different shapes, sizes, and forms. Installations this year included animals, flowers, building structures and light tunnels and projections.
On the Lightopia website it describes the concept behind the festival. It says: "Lightopia aims to revive and reinterpret the classics, transporting the audience into a very different world of expression and raw emotion with the light designs and interactive pieces.
"The designs are timeless units of nature. The interaction between space and form is made possible by Lightopia, a spiritual society that exists only in the works and ideas of its creation."
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