With
visitor numbers around 175,000, you can’t argue with that statement from Durham
Council leader Simon Henig. The last festival was held in 2011, and the number
of people attending has risen by about 15%.
The
Festival ran for four nights ending last Sunday, and featured 27 light
installations beamed on to buildings, including the city's Norman cathedral. Works
included a huge 3D elephant and several magnified pages from the Lindisfarne
Gospels, which is a topical subject in view of the success of their return to
the area this summer.
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| Durham's Lumiere - a "world class event" |
Warming
to his theme, Mr. Henig described the Festival as a "world-class"
event. Two years ago there had been issues with regard to overcrowding, which
had taken the shine off the event. However, these had been addressed after
consultations with Durham Police and Durham County Council.
This
year, in order to spread the crowds, the Festival had extended opening times
and had used a free ticketed system during peak hours in the central area.
Mr Henig
said: "Lumiere 2013 has been breathtaking, thought-provoking, entertaining
and an overwhelming success for tens of thousands of festival-goers and very
many businesses. I confidently predict a very significant economic boost to the
county linked to the opportunities delivered by this world-class event.
"Just
as important though is the immense sense of pride we can take in knowing we
have worked together to showcase just some of the very best we have to offer in
County Durham."
During
the event, a marriage proposal was made at Solar Equation, an animated replica
100 million times smaller than the real sun.
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