The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Riverside Light Nights attracted record crowds to Perth.
perth: Record crowds at two-week lights extravaganza marking end of Winter Festival
A dazzling riverside lights show drew record crowds to Perth.
More than 53,500 people braved often freezing conditions for this year’s Norie Miller trail.
The two-week extravaganza, which is organised by Perth and Kinross Council, marked the end of the Fair City’s Winter Festival which kicked off on Halloween.
The Riverside Light Nights trail featured illuminations on a variety of themes.
It began with a two-day celebration of national bard Robert Burns and continued with superheroes, a Mad Hatter’s tea party and a trip to Oz, with guests encouraged to follow the Yellow Brick Road.
There were also events celebrating the LGBT community, and a show to ring in the Chinese New Year.
The festival closed with a Valentine’s Day celebration featuring a wedding proposal from Sarah Collingwood to her boyfriend Billy Lannigan.
She popped the question with a romantic message projected on to the underside of a bridge. The couple came from Motherwell for the event.
The council struck a £45,000 deal with Edinburgh-based 21CC to host the Light Nights.
The company was tasked with developing a trail using the area’s built and natural assets.
As well as illuminations, crowds were entertained by circus performers, live bands, stilt-walkers and even a visit from the 1960s Batmobile.
The full economic impact of the Winter Festival, which included a lavish switch-on ceremony featuring Alesha Dixon, will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Conservative councillor Colin Stewart, convener of the environment and infrastructure committee, said: “The Riverside Light Nights has once again been a great success, with tens of thousands of people coming to Perth over the last two weeks.
“The final night brought our Winter Festival to an end and I hope that the people of Perth and Kinross, and all the visitors to the area, have enjoyed themselves.
“I look forward to seeing the full economic impact from all the events that have taken place over the last few months.”
The total for this year’s event was 53,518 visitors, compared to just under 51,000 at last year’s debut show.
The trail was designed as a taster for the City of Light project, which will see landmarks and buildings across the area lit up with colourful spotlights and animated projections.
It aims to bring more people into the city centre at night, after a survey found that nearly 60% of the local population didn’t venture into the area after 6pm.
The Riverside Light Nights has once again been a great success . . . COUNCILLOR COLIN STEWART