LIGHTPORT 2026

10 Large-scale light installations created by Lucid Creates in response to the ‘Inside The Rainbow’ theme

LIGHTPORT

Commissioned by Sefton Council

Lord Street, Southport, UK

Lucid created 10 large-scale light installations in response to the ‘Inside The Rainbow’ theme for Lightport 2026, transforming Lord Street across a 400m stretch of Southport Town Centre into a joyous, multi-sensory and multicoloured experience that was accessible to all. The purpose of this event was to bring people together, instilling both pride in place and a sense of community & togetherness. Across 3 nights, over 45,000 people attended the otherworldly display of light, colour and sound.

'MERMAID GARDENS' - marking the start of the ‘Inside The Rainbow’ experience, upon entering the gates to the gardens - hundreds of mirrored LED mirrored fins placed throughout the gardens create a mesmeric, enchanting field of light, as multi-coloured light patterns pulse and breathe life into the gardens in a harmonising, ethereal light show. Shimmering in unison and murmurating in sync, as if interconnected via a complex, unseen network - emulating the hidden network that connects trees, mycelium and flora within the forest. Delicate audience-scanning starburst lasers pierce and twist through the trees reaching out into the audience in an enchanting display. The Mermaid Pond itself is illuminated as rainbow colours ripple, flow and converge within the water. The existing sundial is transformed into a prismatic installation emitting soft rays of rainbow light utilising the existing park features.

‘END OF THE RAINBOW’ - transforms the illusive 'End of The Rainbow' phenomenon into the almost touchable . A vivid, spectral light beams down from above, a solid, distinct ribbon of colour pours into the pond below. The light dissolves upon contact with water, reflecting its colours as it pools and ripples outwards. Static yet fleeting, tangible yet otherworldly this is a simple but moving piece. The ‘End of the Rainbow’ invites us to stand in the liminal space between magic and physics, offering the wonder of myth whilst gently reminding us of the physical qualities of light.

‘GRADIENTS’ - a dazzling, horizontal rainbow formed from multi-layered ‘sheets’ of light. Viewers enter the space can pass through the permeable, luminous walls. The powerful light planes slowly morph and shift, unfolding into soft, multi-coloured gradients and richly saturated colour scans. As radiant washes of light travel up and down the space, the horizontal layers take on a physical, almost tangible presence, transforming light into an evocative, immersive and spatial experience. The constantly shifting volume of light is navigable, redefining how we perceive the environment we are placed within and how we differentiate between the physical and the immaterial.

'ATMOSPHERE' - as viewers enter London Square, a spectacular laser show transforms the night sky into a living canvas of colour, movement and luminescence. Precision-cut beams of saturated rainbow light radiate across the space, forming a ceiling or blanket of light that dances above the audience, completely altering the viewer’s environment. Drawing inspiration from natural phenomena, waves, auroras and clouds, lasers are choreographed into slow, fluid sweeps and dramatic convergences. Colours blend and fracture overhead as viewers stand beneath a vast, shifting spectrum that responds to its surroundings. ‘ATMOSPHERE’ is a shared moment; a place to pause, to look up, to feel connected and to be inspired. Rippling bands of colour move in fluid motions above the audience, inviting visitors to gather and experience the colour spectrum in full. Bold, optimistic and unmistakably celebratory, the sprawling installation acts as a beacon within the town - unforgettable from within and designed to leave a lasting impression of joy, unity and wonder.

'INTO THE LIGHT' - Within the second monument, a sequence of defined, radiant cone-shaped light forms, each represented by a distinct spectral colour, beam down from above. Carving out individual, conical chambers of colour and light that invite play and exploration. Using powerful, defined cone forms to delineate shapes and space through colour, scale and tempo. A series of vertical light volumes descend from above, forming distinct yet permeable zones that can be entered, the lighting display can be both observed from the inside as well as from the outside, as audience members become part of the installation itself. Bold primary colours jump from one cone to the next in a playful and joyful sequence. Colour transitions accelerate and decelerate as the pace quickens and slows back down again over time. The changing speed of the lighting sequences create a rhythm across the installation, encouraging both slow observation as well as energetic moments of transition.

'ELEMENTAL' - A small water projection dances above the pond, a true extension of the body of water it is rising out from, and still very much connected to it. Like a spectral vision, free-form, and nymph-like, this ethereal holographic display feels as though a spirit or entity is hovering, twisting and gently shape-shifting in mid-air above the water, housed within a veil of fine mist. Water droplets produce a delicate, ephemeral canvas on which a surreal, three-dimensional display moves through, the canvas itself constantly shifting and falling away, altered, shaped and at the mercy of its environment and the elements. This small but emotive installation embodies the rainbow in every way - harnessing and experimenting with the mediums of refraction, reflection and dispersion.

'CHURCH GARDENS' - A connector space, colourful, pulsing neon lighting lines the pathways leading visitors towards the headline installation in Town Hall Square, whilst multi-coloured architectural lighting illuminates Christ Church.

'ARC' - Core memories are created as this jaw-dropping spectral vision turns the ‘Inside The Rainbow’ theme into an unforgettable and joyous reality & spectacle as Lucid’s interpretation of this enigmatic, natural phenomenom stops viewers in their tracks, reimagining the spectrum of light with a physical form. A place where memory, imagination and reality merge - the vast installation towers above the viewers below at 10 metres tall and wide. A jaw-dropping, dreamlike vision rises from the ground at the heart centre of Town Hall Gardens, forming a complete, luminous rainbow that can be entered and experienced from within. The momentary, untouchable nature of the rainbow is replaced with a tangible depiction of this universal symbol of optimism. Bands of radiant colour arc skyward, creating a powerful, evocative sense of scale while gently drawing viewers toward the centre. Mist gathers at ground level, as if the rainbow and those standing at the foot of the installation are floating amidst the clouds - in a dreamlike, surreal scene of light, sound, colour and collective wonder.

Concept, Curation, Design, Fabrication & Build of all installations Lucid Creates

Soundscapes for all installations by Louis Hardy

Images by Jody Hartley

With special thanks to Sefton Council, Visit Southport, Culture Liverpool and Liverpool City Region