'Magical' interactive light trail transforms seaside town - dates, map and what to expect at Lightport

A ‘must-see’ interactive light trail is taking over a popular seaside town from today (Saturday, February 14), promising a ‘vibrant world of colour, sound and movement’.

Created by leading international artists Lucid Creates, Lightport is a multi-sensory adventure designed to lift spirits and chase away the winter blues. Expect glowing arches, immersive soundscapes and large-scale installations that visitors can enter, explore and enjoy together for free.

Running from February 14 to 16, Lightport will invite families, friends and visitors of all ages to step into a vibrant world of colour, sound and movement.

The experience will transform Southport’s Lord Street into a playful, walk-through trail of interactive light installations inspired by the beauty and joy of rainbows, creating magical visuals.

The event marks the opening moment of Southport 2026, a year-long celebration of the town’s Elegantly Eccentric past, present and future.

When is Lightport?

Lightport is open to public from Saturday, February 14 to Monday, February 16 from 5pm to 9pm each evening.

How long is the Lightport route?

Lightport will take over a 400m long stretch of Lord Street in the centre of Southport.

There is no time limit, but most visitors should expect to spend 30-60 mins in the experience.

Full Lightport programme

Zone 1 - Mermaid Gardens

Mermaid Gardens will be transformed with four unique installations:

• Enchanted Gardens - Hundreds of mirrored LED lights create an ethereal field of colour, shifting and pulsing while starburst lasers sweep through the trees surrounding visitors in mesmeric moving patterns.
• Mermaid Pond - The water becomes a living rainbow surface, with colours rippling and converging.
• Sundial Prism - The sundial transforms into a prismatic installation, casting soft rainbow rays that reshape the surrounding landscape.
• End of the Rainbow - The journey concludes with a rainbow appearing to descend into pond - a final touch of mystery and magic.

Zone 2 - Monument Square

• Gradients - Shifting planes of colour as gradients morph and flow, transforming light and blurring boundaries.
• Atmosphere - Transforms the night sky with a vast overhead laser spectacle. Precision rainbow beams form a living ceiling of light.
• Into the Light - Features radiant, defined cones of light inviting you to explore and play in the colour.
• Elemental - A delicate, ephemeral canvas on which a surreal, three-dimensional display floats and morphs above the water.

Zone 3 – Christ Church Gardens

Church Gardens will be filled with colourful, pulsing neon lighting - an immersive experience which leads visitors to Zone 4 and the finale installation.

Zone 4 – Town Hall Gardens

ARC is a jaw-dropping finale as a dreamlike vision rises from the ground at the heart of Town Hall Gardens. A complete, luminous rainbow that can be entered and experienced from within.

Towering ten metres high, 7,000 luminous pixels form a rainbow surrounded by mist and light. Blending memory, imagination, and reality, it evokes optimism, renewal, and collective wonder, inviting reflection, connection, and shared moments of joy.