Lantern Festival to bring light and celebration to Morecambe

A community celebration of lanterns, light and music will return to the West End of Morecambe.

More Music’s Lantern Festival will take place on Saturday December 6.

Led by the Baybeat Streetband and featuring community-made lanterns, the procession will wind its way through the West End, bringing light and music through the streets.

In the run-up to the event, people are invited make their own lantern with local artists at More Music on Saturday November 29 or Sunday November 30 before joining the parade with their lantern, the following weekend.

Alongside this, lantern making workshops will take place in Morecambe schools and with community members from West End Impact and ReStore.

Alongside the event and workshops, More Music are inviting sea creature designs to be part of a digital seascape which will be animated and projected on More Music’s building during the procession. Details of this will be available on the More Music website.

The Lantern Festival begins with performances featuring new music created by the More Music community at 4pm, before people collect their lanterns at 5pm.

There will be community singing to bring the festive spirit at 5.15pm before the lantern procession begins at 6pm. The parade, led by Baybeat Streetband, will weave through the West End before returning to More Music for a finale celebration at 7pm.

“We are delighted to be working with our brilliant community to create the West End Winter Lantern Festival, marking the start of the festive season with warmth and light," said Marianne Barraclough, Executive Director of More Music.

"I’m looking forward to hearing all the new music that is created in the sessions here in the run up to the event, and to see the beautiful lanterns and sea creature designs which will be projected onto the building, but most of all I’m excited to see the community come together for this beautiful event, which plays an important role in celebrating this area. I hope you will come and join us to experience the magic for yourself!”

Everyone is welcome to join or watch the parade, take part in the community singing and enjoy performances from Baybeat Streetband, Sound Intervention, Cacophony Arkestra and other special guests

For more information please visit www.moremusic.org.uk.

The West End Winter Lantern Procession and project has been supported by Morecambe Town Council. More Music is supported by Garfield Weston Foundation, Lancaster City Council, Lancashire Music Hub, Youth Music and Arts Council England.