Northern Lights returns to Leeds' Temple Newsam this winter - with bigger, brighter and more inclusive displays

Northern Lights at Temple Newsam is making a dazzling return for 2025, promising a completely reimagined experience that will once again transform the historic estate into a spectacular landscape of light and sound.

With just over six months to go, the creative team behind the attraction is hard at work crafting 15 brand-new immersive installations - each designed to spark wonder and bring fresh magic to the Grade I-listed grounds.

Roxy Robinson, director at From The Fields - the team behind the trail - said the aim this year is to welcome new visitors while also enticing returning guests with something entirely different.

“We want people still to have that sense of discovery and that magic they felt last year,” she told the Yorkshire Evening Post.

During its debut last winter, Northern Lights drew more than 110,000 visitors and earned glowing reviews from BBC Look North, the Yorkshire Evening Post and beyond.

Now confirmed to return from 21 November to 31 December, the team is placing an even greater focus on accessibility, particularly for neurodivergent and disabled visitors.

According to Roxy, some of the most moving feedback came from parents of children with disabilities.

“We used to offer just an hour's worth [of neuro-sensitive] slots on two dates,” she explained. “But what we're doing now is extending that service so there's an entire evening.”

This year’s trail promises a completely fresh route, with standout features including the spectacular eight-metre Lily of the Lake and a grand finale featuring a 40-beam light display.

“It will be like something out of Disneyland,” Roxy added. “It's really large-scale. It's really beautiful.”

The 15 new installations are being developed in collaboration with some of the UK’s leading light artists, each one tailored to Temple Newsam’s unique and undulating landscape.

“We start with a blank piece of paper and say what is going to work best for this location, rather than trying to cookie-cutter from something that's gone before,” said Roxy.

From The Fields’ creative team is no stranger to large-scale events, having worked on acclaimed festivals including Kendal Calling, Bluedot, and Cardiff’s award-winning Christmas at Bute Park, as well as Northern Lights Newcastle.

But Temple Newsam stands out as the most rural venue in their portfolio - and it’s something the team sees as an advantage.

“The undulating grounds actually made the creative pop even more,” Roxy said. “You could see things at different heights, and as you move through, you get three or four different angles of the same installation.

“We try to see what light and Christmas light trails have in common with more free-spirited, hedonistic music environments like festivals and concerts.

“We're not just creating a light trail - we're creating an immersive, inclusive experience that transforms a historic landscape into a magical winter wonderland.”

Northern Lights will return to Temple Newsam from 21 November to 31 December 2025. Tickets go on general sale from 10am on 5 June, with an exclusive pre-sale from 10am on 4 June.

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