LONDON

SIGHTSEEING
A TERRIFIC TOUR
The Original Bus Tour
(p. 36), which launched during
the Festival of Britain in 1951, is
65 years old this year. When the
double-decker bus tour began,
it provided visitors with a book
to identify sights on a non-stop
circular tour, but today live guides
entertain you and you can hop on
and off along various routes. Take
in London’s iconic sights, from
the Coca-Cola London Eye to the
Houses of Parliament.
NEVER FORGET
London will commemorate the
victims and survivors of the
Holocaust and genocides since
then on Holocaust Memorial
Day (27 Jan). Events include
a free lunchtime lecture at the
Army & Navy Club on Pall Mall.
Last year, the Prince of Wales
(below) attended a 70 Candles
for 70 Years ceremony to mark
the liberation of Auschwitz.
hmd.org.uk
TRIP THE LIGHT
FANTASTIC
ou’ve heard of street art,
Y
but sky art? Lumiere
London (14-17 Jan) is
a free event that is set
to brighten up the night
as international artists create
light installations to transform
20 landmarks across the city.
Events company Artichoke
launched Lumiere in Durham
in 2009. The historic northern
city has hosted the light
festival every two years since,
but this is the first time the
capital is hosting it.
Artichoke’s director and
Lumiere’s curator, Helen
Marriage, says: ‘With its own
artistic programme, Lumiere
London will be very different,
but the principles remain the
same – it’s about bringing great
art on to the streets, beyond the
closed spaces of the gallery.’
Locations of the artworks
include the West End and
King’s Cross. So far, 20 artists
are taking part, including
homegrown talent Julian Opie
– who designed the Best of
Blur album – and New York
artist Janet Echelman, who
has created aerial sculptures
the size of buildings.
Janet has created 1.8 London
from thousands of feet of
knotted twine – you’ll be able
to change its light and patterns
via a specially created app.
Lumiere London is expected
to rival Berlin’s Festival
of Lights, Lyon’s Fête des
Lumières and Vivid Sydney.
To find out if that’s the case,
you’ll just have to see the
light yourself.
– Sarah Riches
visitlondon.com/lumiere
LUMIERE LONDON © MATTHEW ANDREWS; LONDON BUS WITH LONDON EYE © GRANT ROONEY; HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY © HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY
22 | LONDON PLANNER visitbritain.com