Liverpool will dazzle this week with a huge firework display and 10 new light installations lit up around the city.
The new-look River of Light festival kicks off tomorrow evening (November 1) when the installations will light up different areas of the city centre for nine nights until November 9.
These will include spiders on Cunard Building, rabbits in Exchange Flags more than 200 luminous spheres at Liverpool Parish Church and a huge, immersive light experience in Mann Island.
The dazzling art commissions will form part of the city's Bonfire Night celebrations with a massive firework display on Sunday, November 3 both in Liverpool and Wirral.
Liverpool's waterfront will be transformed into an explosion of light, colour and sound - and we managed to get a sneaky preview at seven of the artworks 24 hours before they go on view to the public.
Here's a first look at the art installations.
Spiders
The waterfront side of the Cunard Building will be getting an arachnid makeover as spider-shaped light sculptures appear on the façade, courtesy of French artists Groupe Laps. Runs 5-10pm each night.
Globoscope
Located in the courtyard at Liverpool Parish Church, this immersive sound and light journey is made up of more than 200 luminous spheres. It has been designed by critically acclaimed French arts company ‘Collectif Coin’. Runs 5-10pm each night.
Intrude
Australian artist Amanda Parer will bring her crowd-pleasing, large-scale glowing, inflatable rabbits who will make Exchange Flags (behind Liverpool Town Hall) their new home. Runs 5-10pm each night.
Run Beyond
A single figure will dominate the skyline of the Royal Albert Dock Liverpool as viewers can track their leap to freedom in a consecutive sequence. Created by Italian artist Angelo Bonello, he wants the artwork to represent the leaps we make at points in our lives. Runs 5-10pm each night.
Submergence
Taking over Mann Island Atrium, this large, immersive and responsive walkthrough experience uses thousands of individual points of suspended light to transform its environment. It's the brainchild of Squidsoup which is one of the UK’s leading digital augmentation companies. Runs 5-10pm each night.
Flight
River of Light will kick-start a brand new, illuminated chapter for the Royal Liver Building as they unveil Flight – a six-minute light show which will be a permanent installation once the festival has finished. The show will take place every 30 minutes from 5-9.30pm.
Whole Hole
A light portal to another dimension will appear on the wall of Wapping Dock (near the M&S Arena and Convention Centre) created by Dutch artists Vendel & de Wolf. Runs 5-10pm each night.
The other installations are:
Portal
A brand new commission featuring three large-scale kaleidoscopic images, Portal will transform the inner quayside of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, responding to human movement and dance.
Portal comes from local artist Sam Wiehl. Runs from 5pm-10pm each night .
Cetus
Taking inspiration from the Cetus constellation, an underwater display in the Mann Island basin with see the area come alive through this multi-sensory artwork by The Kazimier.
As the sun sets the water will shimmer and pulsate mimicking the ancient Greek myth of the sea monster Cetus. Runs from 5pm - 10pm each night .
Liverpool Jackpot
The Plaza Building on Old Hall Street will become a canvas for a set of neon lights which playfully comment on the city’s history and resilience.
Originally commissioned in 2007, the piece has been brought back by Liverpool Biennial and Liverpool BID Company as a signal of Liverpool’s future ambitions. Runs from 5pm -10pm each night .
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