Light Night on campus — a visual guide
A visual guide to finding your way about and knowing what’s on.
Getting here by public transport and Shuttle Bus
You can get the bus (1, 1B 6, 8, 27, 28, 56) to Leeds University Stop C, D, E from Leeds City Centre.
If you are walking from town, the Parkinson building is a 13 minute walk from Millennium Square, and an 18 minute walk from The Headrow.
There is a free, accessible shuttle bus which stops at Parkinson Steps (the big white building on Headingley Lane) approximately every 15 minutes to get into the City Centre.
For info and listings about all the Zones of Light Night 2024, please visit https://www.lightnightleeds.co.uk/event-map/.
Getting here by car
You can begin your route here and follow the lights or carry on walking up towards the Parkinson Building.
Please be aware of cars on this road, the footpath may be obstructed.
Main Entrance For Light Night
Go through here to find a welcome desk, with maps and information. Alternatively, you can enter the Parkinson building to pick up a map from a welcome desk in the foyer.
The main route to Be Curious in Parkinson Court is through these automatic double doors and follow the signs. There are toilets in this building.
Be Curious x Light Night, Parkinson Court
To the left of the welcome desk in Parkinson Court you will find Be Curious with lots of things to make and do. There will be seats here.
You have seen nothing yet, Stanley and Aubrey Burton Gallery
The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery is here too.
The You have Seen Nothing Yet installation is in the room on your left as you walk in.
The Dutch artist Boris Maas responds to the mystery and atmosphere of the moonlit paintings of Victorian artist John Atkinson Grimshaw with his own immersive light installation and photographs.
Leeds International Piano Competition, Parkinson Building Foyer
On Friday night there will be people playing the piano in the foyer of the Parkinson Court.
Immortal Bloom
Coming back outside, you can see an installation called Immortal Bloom on this tree. It is just outside the Baines Wing entrance and straight on from the welcome desk under the Parkinson arches.
It is made up of a hundred jellyfish made from recycled bottles that gently light up in sequence.
The Space Between The Lights
Listen out for animal sounds around campus as part of a sound trail exploring the effect of light on our local wildlife.
All the sounds are marked on the map which you can pick up from either of the welcome desks.
More information about what you are hearing can be found here.
Ubuntu
The Ubuntu performance will happen at 6, 7, 8 and 9pm in front of the Sign for Art Sculpture. There is sloped access around the outside of the circle.
A Carnival Queen in an amazing costume and a troupe of dancers will perform to music by a DJ.
Shed Light, Student Commission
Head straight towards the covered walkway for Shed Light, a shed-like building filled with light and sound.
There is step-free access to the left of the stairs and the installation can be viewed from outside or inside. Only one person can enter at a time and a volunteer will help with this.
The Nectary
Under these arches nearby, you will see The Nectary. A series of giant flowers is suspended. If you walk inside one you will hear the sound of pollinating insects.
Illuminating Recovery
Illuminating Recovery is also in this area and will light up this tree.
Here Marks the Spot
Here Marks the Spot is on the right side of the same building (just to the left of the Student Union as you face it) It is a projection of a dancing figure.
Calm Zone, Hugo, Food Vans
The Calm Zone is nearby. It is a great space to have a picnic and there will also be craft activities. The lighting will gradually change colours.
There are various food and drink vendors outside the tent.
Getting to the Pyramid Stage inside the Union
To get to the student commission: Iteration LN24, and toilets and seating enter the Student Union Main Foyer.
There is step-free access to the left of the stairs near the Here Marks the Spot projection.
Full accessibility information of this building is available here
Getting to Iteration LN24
To get to the Pyramid stage walk straight into the main foyer and all the way down the stairs to find the Pyramid.
Inside the Pyramid is an exhibition of projections and sculptures which includes a mirror ball.
Stair-free access inside the union
Accessibility inside the Union is a bit more complicated than we’d like as there are multiple levels.
For stair-free access to the Pyramid, take the lift closest to the female and gender-neutral toilets in the main foyer to the ground floor.
Turn right out of the lift and up the ramp. Turn Left, walk past Pearls and Starbucks and through the arches towards Co-op.
Walk past the Co-Op and follow signs for Studios and Pyramid. At the end of this corridor is the lift.
Press the button for –4.
Getting to Stage@leeds
Come back out of the Union and past Here Marks the Spot. Near to this, you will see this bridge.
Cross it and you will see Stage@Leeds on your right.
Stage@leeds Installations
Enter the theatre through these doors.
Lots of things are happening in Stage@Leeds including a video game on a giant screen, things to make and a place to tell us what you think of Light Night.
The activities are in different rooms, so you can choose which ones you’d like to go to. There is also a bar here selling drinks.
Getting to The School of Music
Walk back the way you came towards Ubuntu and turn right between the Marjorie and Arnold Ziff building and the Michael Sadler building.
If you see these trees lit up, you are going in the right direction.
Leaf Lanterns
Turn right down this road which takes you towards the School of Music. The Leaf Lanterns are on these trees outside the School of Music. A storyteller will also tell stories here at 6pm and 7.15pm
Smeaton’s Planetarium at the School of Music
Opposite Leaf Lanterns is the entrance to the Clothworkers’ Concert Hall.
Inside you can take the lift or the stairs upstairs to the Concert Hall and the installation Smeaton’s Planetarium.
This is a moving projection onto all the walls, with music.
Impossible Patterns
From, the School of Music walk back the way you came and turn right towards this building which is called the Laidlaw Library.
A large projection called Impossible Patterns will light it up, which moves to music. Take good care as sometimes cars drive along this road.
Inside, drop-in activities will explore the themes of Impossible Patterns. (You don’t need to know anything about maths to join in!)
Laidlaw access
There are toilets in this building, step-free access is available at the front of the building on Blenheim Terrace.
National Poetry Centre
Carry along the road from Impossible Patterns, toward Headingly Lane and you will come to a projection at Trinity St David’s Church by the National Poetry Centre.
If you walk Straight up from here you will reach the Parkinson Building where you can get the Shuttle bus back into the City center.
You can also walk back down to the City from here.
