Sunderland's Festival of Light 2023, plans revealed for return of event to Mowbray Park

The iconic event, which is generally staged in Roker Park, is planned to take place in Mowbray Park this year.

City leaders last held the event in Mowbray Park in 2019 transforming the space into a winter wonderland featuring lights, music and special characters.

The event, which was also held a month later than usual, aimed to compliment the city centre’s Christmas offer at the time.

However there was a dramatic fall in visitor numbers and despite council event bosses deeming the event a success, the Festival of Light has not been held in Mowbray Park since.

In subsequent years the festival has been held in Roker Park, apart from a cancellation in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sunderland City Council has now submitted an application to its own planning department to hold the Festival of Light in Mowbray Park again.

Plans list dates of September 25 to November 16, 2023, for the operation of the festival, which covers the “site set-up and de-rig dates of all infrastructure”.

The festival itself is expected to officially open on Wednesday, October 11, and would then take place every Thursday to Sunday (between 4pm-9pm) until Saturday, November 11.

The event would include lighting features across the park as well as children’s rides, food and drink and music performers based near the bandstand.

Lighting features would include ‘free standing 2D features’, ‘lit wrapped trees’ and a projection onto Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens.

It was also noted that the park would be “accessible to the public” during the days of set-up and de-rig, however there would be access restrictions in place during event days.

This includes public access being permitted “up to 3pm on event days prior to the park opening to ticket holders only”.

A design, access and planning statement submitted to council planning officials provides more details on this year’s Festival of Light.

It states that maximum attendance would be around 8,000 visitors per evening, with tickets required and three to four time slots per hour to limit the numbers of attendees at any one time.

The event is expected to operate during October half-term and there would also be two ticketed entrances and one main exit to the festival, all situated on Burdon Road.

Those behind the festival confirmed The Illuminations would continue to operate at the seafront but that Mowbray Park had been proposed for the Festival of Light to help “boost the city centre economy”.

It was also noted that Sunderland has a history of hosting lighting events, dating back to the 1930s, and The Illuminations and Festival of Light continue to make an “important contribution to the region’s heritage and tourism offer”.

The design, access and planning statement added: “The development proposal accords with local and national planning policy and [a] number of environmental surveys and assessments have been undertaken to ensure the Festival of Light does not have a detrimental impact on the environment of the surrounding area.

“Evidence confirms that the Festival of Light can be satisfactorily accommodated without detriment to the amenity of adjacent properties, the general environment or the conservation principles of the area.

“Where mitigation is required, mitigation will be implemented during the course of the Festival of Light being in operation”.

A decision on the temporary change of use of Mowbray Park rests with Sunderland City Council’s planning department.

This decision is expected to be made once a period of council consultation has concluded.

For more information on the planning application or to track its progress, visit the council’s planning portal website and search reference: 23/01870/LP3

Further information about the Festival of Light and ticketing is expected to be released by the city council in the near future.