Lumiere Festival London 2016: Installations turned off due to overcrowding

Kings Cross Station was evacuated

(Janet Echelman / Studio Echelman, Lumiere Durham 2015. Produced by Artichoke. Photo by Matthew Andrews. )

London’s Lumiere Festival suffered from overcrowding on Saturday night, leading to installations being turned off and people being asked to come back on Sunday.

At one point, Kings Cross Station was reportedly evacuated, the free festival of lights – featuring installations from over 30 artists – having attracted too many visitors to the capital.

The art installations were set to dazzle passers-by in iconic locations including Mayfair, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square and Westminster.

Organisers, Artichoke, as well as the Met police are offering advice through Twitter using the hashtag #LumiereLDN.

The festival will take place between 6.30pm and 10.30pm. Artists including Janet Echelman, Deepa Mann Kler and Benedetto Bufalino all have installations at the event.

This is the first time Lumiere has taken place in London, having debuted in Durham in 2009, and is part of a light festival called Lighting Up the North, which holds festivals in seven cities across the north of England, including Leeds, Blackpool, Lancaster, Gateshead and Manchester.

The full programme is available on the Lumiere website, along with suggestions of places to eat and sights to see while walking between the installations.