6.30pm The Light District: Crown And Coronation

Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 February

Carlisle is set to host a spectacular sound and light show this coming February, bringing the splendour of the Crown Jewels - 300 miles from their home at the Tower of London - to some of the most iconic buildings in the city.

Brought to Carlisle, with the support of Cumberland Council’s Discover Carlisle team, ‘Crown and Coronation’, produced by Historic Royal Palaces and Luxmuralis, will explore the history of coronations in an immersive visual show and emotive soundscape which it is planning to project on some of the country’s most famous landmarks and locations - including Carlisle Cathedral and Carlisle Castle.

Crown and Coronation has been created by Historic Royal Palaces - the charity that cares for the Tower of London - in partnership with Luxmuralis - as part of an artistic collaboration between artist Peter Walker and composer David Harper. It will bring the spectacle, significance, and shared experience of Coronations to life, demonstrating the pivotal role of the Crown Jewels, part of the Royal Collection, within the ceremony.

Following a nine-day run at the iconic fortress, the show will embark on a UK wide tour, taking the story of the Crown Jewels across the country to be enjoyed at some of the most famous landmarks and locations, including Carlisle in February 2024.

Running across three nights, the immersive sound and light installation will take place inside Carlisle Cathedral, outside of The Fratry (in the Cathedral grounds), Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery and within the grounds of Carlisle Castle, projected on majestic buildings some of which have stood for nearly 1,000 years.

The show will feature stunning imagery spanning across the centuries. Visitors will journey through more than 1,000 years of history, encompassing the reigns of some of the most famous English monarchs including William the Conqueror, Elizabeth I, and Queen Victoria.

Visitors will also have the chance to marvel at detailed footage of the Crown Jewels, the objects at the very heart of the coronation ceremony, projected onto Carlisle’s historic buildings.

There will be fifteen minute time slots from 6.30pm to 9pm each day.

Entrance to the event will be from Castle street into the Cathedral grounds.

Tickets are £8.50 per adult, £7.50 per child (aged 5 -16) and free for under 5s. Tickets are available from www.skiddle.com or direct from the Carlisle Tourist Information Centre (01228 598596).

The Light District is a new Cumberland Council programme of events.

The council’s Discover Carlisle team, supported by funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, is working in partnership with Luxmuralis and Historic Royal Palaces to showcase Crown and Coronation in Carlisle.

The event is also organised with the support of Carlisle Cathedral, Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery and English Heritage.

The Light District builds on the success of Carlisle City of Lights and Workington Hall Lights which have both been hugely popular over recent years.

Image: © His Majesty King Charles III 2023 / Royal Collection Trust / Historic Royal Palaces


Luxmuralis is an artistic collaboration between artist and sculptor Peter Walker and composer David Harper. Together through fine art, sound and light they transform and reinterpret the sense of place in unique spaces both in the UK and abroad; creatively helping an audience to take a physical and emotional journey to identify with subjects and message of the artworks created through the Son-et-Lumiere and sculptural installations. Luxmuralis’ spectacular sound and light shows have been seen in a wide variety of places taking art onto the streets and to unique places.

Historic Royal Palaces is a team of people who love and look after six of the most wonderful palaces in the world. They create space for spirits to stir and be stirred. They want everyone to feel welcome and accepted. They tell stories about the monarchs you know and the lives you don’t. They let people explore and they set minds racing. They are a charity, and your support gives the palaces a future, for everyone.

The Royal Collection is among the largest and most important art collections in the world, and one of the last great European royal collections to remain intact. It comprises almost all aspects of the fine and decorative arts and is spread among some 15 royal residences and former residences across the UK, most of which are regularly open to the public. The Royal Collection is held in trust by the Sovereign for his successors and the nation and is not owned by The King as a private individual. Royal Collection Trust, a department of the Royal Household, is responsible for the care of the Royal Collection and manages the public opening of the official residences of The King.