Northern Lights spectacular to return to York Minster

The work made its debut to sell-out audiences in June 2018 to raise funds to protect the Minster’s medieval stained glass, and this time there will be a longer run from October 24 to 31.

Tickets to see York Minster "in a new light" will go on sale from 10am on May 28.

Artists Ross Ashton and Karen Monid, from double Guinness World Record-winning company The Projection Studio, were inspired to create their installation by the Minster’s medieval stained glass and architecture.

The June weekend of Northern Lights events last summer raised £1.4 million, beginning with a Friday gala fundraising dinner enjoyed by 700 guests in the Minster’s Nave, before the cathedral opened its doors after hours on the Saturday and Sunday for screenings of Ashton and Monid's projection.

The events were organised to raise money to extend state-of-the-art external glazing to all of the Minster’s historically important windows, 60 per cent of them having no protection from the elements at present, leaving them exposed to corrosion, condensation and decay. This work will take 20 years to complete at a cost of £11million.

This autumn’s Northern Lights week again will support the campaign to ensure all of the Minster's 128 mostly medieval stained glass windows have protection from the elements. All but three of them contain stained glass of either historic or artistic importance

Neil Sanderson, director of the York Minster Fund, said: "We were overwhelmed with the response to the installation when it debuted last year, not just the hugely positive reaction to the projection events but also the heartfelt support for the campaign to protect the Minster’s unrivalled collection of medieval glass.

"The events allowed people to see and interact with this spectacular building in a new way while supporting a campaign that will help ensure this amazing collection of medieval stained glass – the largest in the country – is protected for generations to come.

"We look forward to welcoming people in October to see the awe-inspiring installation and support our campaign to protect these historically important masterpieces."

York Minster launched a 20-year partnership in 2017 to work with York Glaziers Trust and the YMF not only to extend the protective glazing to these windows, but also to halt the decay and buy much-needed time for conservation work.

The project is supported by an endowment grant of up to £1m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, whereby every £1 raised by the public will be matched by the lottery fund. The funding then will be invested to generate income for the 20-year project.

Artist Ross Ashton is known in York already for his outdoor projections, not least his Rose projection, shown outside York Minster’s South Transept in 2010. "Northern Lights, however, is particularly special as it is inside the Minster itself," he says.

From May 28, tickets will be available for performances at 7pm and 9pm each evening from October 24 to 31, excluding Sunday, October 27. Doors will open 45 minutes before each performance; the installation experience will last approximately 30 minutes.

Tickets cost £6 at yorkminster.org, on 01904 557256 or in person from the cathedral’s admission desk. Alternatively, pay £8 on the door.