Liverpool Light Night: May 18

Liverpool annual late-night arts and culture festival Light Night returns on May 18. Light Nighters can expect special underground tours, a mass sing-along, candle-lit labyrinth, fascinating exhibitions and open studios, Chinese arts showcase, architecture tours, ceildh’s, spectacular light projections, street theatre, live music and so much more, and for free! From 4pm until late, more than 40 of Liverpool’s best arts & heritage venues will throw open their doors. With a mixture of exhibitions, performances and hands-on activities, LightNight offers visitors -- and they're expecting thousands -- a chance to "rediscover and celebrate Liverpool’s impressive world-class cultural offer". The event is part of the Museums at Night initiative when galleries and museums around Europe open late, staging special events. Christina Grogan of Open Culture, the Light Night coordinators said: “Putting the programme together has been so exciting. We think it’s the best ever Light Night with over 70 fantastic free events. For the first time we’ve also got amazing light projections by Andy McKeown on the Metropolitan Cathedral and on the side of St John’s shopping centre.” (picture below) The full programme will be out at participating venues and online from April 20 -- you can request your free programme by post from www.lightnightliverpool.co.uk. Some of the free events will include the Rolf Harris exhibition launch at the Walker Art Gallery plus children's activities, poetry and live music in the galleries; kaleidoscopic light projections from artist Andy McKeown at Metropolitan Cathedral and St John’s shopping centre; and Tate Liverpool’s Razzle Dazzle – music, dancing and film inspired by 1940s Hollywood glamour, plus family printmaking. The Big Voice will be a mass sing-along with Sense of Sound at Liverpool Cathedral (pictured above); there will be the chance to explore the Galápagos exhibition, special activities, food, drink and unique shops at the Bluecoat; visitors can stroll through the candle-lit labyrinth at the Metropolitan Cathedral; or head to Red Wire for their open studios and fair featuring art, curious crafts and creative zines from resident artists. Or travel to the future at FACT with their current exhibition Robots and Avatars, plus their "dance party with a difference" outside on Art House Square; examine the contemporary jewellery exhibition Transplantation at the Bluecoat Display Centre; or try your hand at drawing from life with the Liver Sketching Club/ Look out for peculiar people popping up at the bus stations as Hope Street Ltd are Off the Buses; see the Baltic Triangle come alive with art, open studios, exhibitions, live music and aerial dance; or be moved by powerful photography exhibitions by Richard Mosse and Simon Norfolk at Open Eye Gallery There will be a rare chance to see Liverpool Town Hall enlivened with theatrical performance; the Big Dance Schools Pledge will be at St George’s Hall – part of the national world record attempt; and an opportunity to reflect on Liverpool at a pop up photography exhibition and string quartet at Wongs Jewellers. And if that's not enough, the party will carry on til late at Light & Sound. the Light Night and Sound City joint after show party. Keep an eye out!