Join our purple pathway of light, celebrating our 200th year
10 Jan 2024
On Wednesday, 17 January we'll be celebrating the start of our University's 200th year with a special evening of light, poetry and performances
On Wednesday, 17 January from 6.24pm (18:24 representing The University of Manchester’s founding year) a pathway of light will illuminate iconic places and spaces on campus and beyond in The University of Manchester’s signature colour: purple.
To brighten up the start of 2024 we're inviting students, staff, local alumni and communities to join the celebrations taking place along Oxford Road. Light up activities will take place from our iconic Manchester Engineering Building Development (MECD) to the historic Whitworth Hall – revealing a few surprises along the way.
Visitors who are keen to experience the very best view of the illuminations are encouraged to make their way to the top of Bridgford Street or Coupland Street, where there will be delicious street food and hot drinks available.
Afterwards, come in from the cold to join free, light-filled festivities at Manchester Museum from 5pm to 9pm – including a disco makeover for the museum’s famous spider crab.
The evening offers something for everyone with:
- curated tours of some of the Museum’s best-loved collections;
- family lamp-making workshops;
- uplifting poetry readings.
Refreshments will be available from Dishoom’s chai latte cart and the Museum Cafe.
The evening culminates with an immersive performance from alumni David McFarlane in the main hall at Manchester Museum. David is a musician, creative technologist and interdisciplinary artist, working with sound and light. Join him and his band for an ambient electronic performance recreating the experience of sound-to-colour synaesthesia, turning sound into coloured light in front of your very eyes (and ears). Expect guitars, mandolins, strings, winds, and a lot of colours.
Our wider international community will be joining in celebrations too with global light up events taking place from Dubai to Hong Kong and Shanghai.
More information
Everyone is invited to join us but if you can’t make it person, you can join in celebrations wherever you are by watching the live feed on our bicentenary website from 6pm to 6.30pm.