Manchester Cathedral to be transformed as ‘Luminescence’ makes UK debut
Luminescence, the award-winning immersive project, will make its debut in Manchester this month.
It will mark the first time a Luminescence show takes place in the UK, with the Manchester Cathedral set to be utilised for the event. The walls of the cathedral will be used for 360° projection, live music, and narration.
Luminescence aims to promote and preserve global heritage sites through its immersive shows, with the organisation behind the event claiming over a million people globally have already experienced it live.
The event, which runs until 26 March, will feature legendary Manchester actor Christopher Eccleston as the narrator. Local songs, popular from the Greater Manchester area, will also be sung by the Collectives Gospel Choir. Some of these include The Verve’s ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ and Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’.
In addition, Tim Whitnall, BAFTA-winning writer, will provide the script for the immersive experience. Each show will be of around 45 minutes in length.
Romain Sarfati, who’s the ceo of LOTCHI, the organisation behind Luminescence, said in a statement: “With this new show in Manchester, LUMINISCENCE continues the same mission that has driven us from the beginning: to reveal the emotional power of heritage through an artistic, immersive and live music experience for all.
“Through light, music and narration, we hope to offer everyone a suspended, intimate, universal moment, a fresh look at monuments charged with history and memory.”
First started in 2023, Luminescence has held events throughout the globe in a bid to further highlight historical monuments and architecture. Some of its previous destinations include the Saint-Eustache Church in Paris, the Catedral da Sé in São Paulo, and the The Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis.
Luminescence show at Catedral de Sé (São Paulo, Brazil) – luminescence.com
Parma, who’s a part of the Luminescence team on ground preparing for the launch date, said she’s very excited to see how it all comes together. “Obviously, it’s a historical building. If you look at our previous projections, they’re all in very similar buildings,” said Parma.
“We’re very excited to see what kind of reaction we’ll get because we’ve planning a UK show for a while now,” said Parma. “We’re looking forward to people bringing their friends or loved ones and just be mesmerised by the light show.”
Parma also said, depending on the footfall they receive and the overall reaction, that Luminescence could be back soon. “For sure, we’d like to try different locations in different cities here,” said Parma.
“Either Liverpool or Birmingham,” answered Parma when asked where the next Luminescence could pop up. “We’re looking at the (metropolitan) cathedral in Liverpool, because it’s like modern but still with a very old look.”
Luminescence will run until 26 March. Tickets can be purchased from the official website.