River of Light will bring back the Eurovision sparkle to Liverpool as the twelve artworks are unveiled

River of Light is back for 2023 and the waterfront will be United by Light

River of Light returns to Liverpool’s waterfront from Friday 27 October with installations dedicated to reliving that unforgettable Eurovision fortnight in May.

The man responsible for the Eurovison 2023 stage design, globally acclaimed designer Julio Himede, has joined the artist line-up with a world premiere artwork, along with Ukrainian creatives Tais Poda and RocknLight who will also be bringing world-first projections to the festival.

From Friday 27 October to Sunday 5 November, the free outdoor art gallery will illuminate the city centre from 5pm to 9pm, with this year’s theme ‘United By Light’ paying homage to the United By Music strapline – used when Liverpool hosted the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine in May 2023.

Three of the twelve installations will have a nod to the famous song contest.

Four installations have already been announced as part of the 2km walking trail, which includes a mix of brand new, never before-seen commissions as well as artworks that have not been displayed in the city before. 

The final installations to be announced are:

United By Music 

New York based design firm Yellow Studio – founded by Julio Himede – will bring its 10-metre round, multi-purpose performance space to River of Light for its debut, paying tribute to the music of Eurovision 2023 and promising a one-of-a-kind experience for all who attend. With a soundtrack including six songs from this year’s competition, it’s set to be a huge hit with visitors. 

Ukrainian Dreams 

This brand new commission will see the vivid and wildly imaginative works of one of Ukraine’s best loved artists Tais Poda and RocknLight brought to life in an audio-visual spectacle. It will express the hope and pride of Ukraine through the wonderful work of Maria Prymacenko. Composer Dmytro Saratskyi has provided an original Ukrainian folk score to accompany the piece. This artwork has been co-produced with Festival.org and part funded by Arts Council England and Royal Albert Dock Liverpool.

Our Beating Heart

Art and design collective Studio Vertigo are bringing back ‘Our Beating Heart’ which glistened at Liverpool Town Hall during Eurovision. The heart shaped mirror ball will be returning with a spectacular dancing light show for the beautiful shimmering sight.

NOVA

Another Studio Vertigo piece, NOVA is based around a transient astronomical event which causes a star to quickly increase the strength of light it emits. Visitors will feel like they’re experiencing a ‘new’ star – mighty and dazzling.

Night Whisper

Sydney based art studio Amigo & Amigo are back for River of Light with European premiere, Night Whisper – a piece inspired by the dynamic movement of moths around light. Featuring a giant luminescent light bulb with multiple moths suspended in the light.

GLOW

This world premiere is the second installation by Amigo & Amigo and features a giant interactive light installation inspired by the cycles of the moon, with over 40 different sounds and animations, the audience is invited to move and play throughout.

Florescentia

From the Latin word for ‘blossoming’, Florescentia is inspired by the phenomenal natural transformations found in the biology of plant life and is created by Australian artists Atelier Sisu. The piece incorporates movement, light and a soundscape illustrating the blend of the mechanical and the natural composed by Miles Nicholas.

Labyrinth

This modular colourful Art-chitecture and temporary playground is driven by an exploration of the golden ratio and its connection to the Fibonacci sequence, once again created by Atelier Sisu. Each module of Labyrinth is positioned to create a unique colourful and immersive experience for audiences. 

These installations join Emergence, Lampshades Bouquet, Elysian and Elysian Arcs which were announced last month.

Full details of all 12 pieces, the artists and their locations can be found on the official River of Light website.

For River of Light 2023, a creative engagement programme of workshops will take place across the city with schools and universities. This will run alongside the festival in partnership with the artists involved. Details will be announced online soon.

To get the latest information, follow @visitliverpool (X, Facebook and TikTok) or @visitliverpool_ (Instagram and Threads).

River of Light will be delivered by Liverpool City Council’s Culture Liverpool team and part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority as the lead authority.