York Minster today thanked all 22,000 local residents and supporters from far and wide, for helping to make the spectacular Northern Lights show one of the most popular events to be staged at the cathedral in recent times.  The show closes tonight with sold out performances at 7pm and 9pm.

Designed by award winning artists Ross Ashton and Karen Monid from double Guinness World Record winning company The Projection Studio, the extraordinary sound and light installation staged in the Minster’s monumental Nave, has been a resounding success.

The Minster’s box office team experienced unprecedented demand for the 16-show sell out run.  The marketing and media campaign for the event achieved extensive regional, national and international news coverage and has reached over two million users on social media since opening night – once again helping to put York and the Minster on the map.

The installation originally debuted at York Minster in June 2018 selling out all three nights as part of a fundraising event to protect the Minster’s priceless medieval stained glass. This current run was extended to eight nights due to public demand.

Commenting on the show’s success, Neil Sanderson, Director of the York Minster Fund, said the light installation has enabled people to experience the Minster in a different way.  Neil said:

“The scale and ambition of the artistic endeavour by Ross Ashton and Karen Monid has been truly inspiring. They produced a stunning and breath-taking spectacle that reflects the Minster’s religious and artistic heritage and that entirely respects the Minster’s purpose as a place of worship, giving visitors some sense of the awe experienced by medieval visitors when they first saw the Minster’s stained glass windows”.

Due to public interest in the show, ticket sales have far exceeded expectation and as a result, the 11-year project to provide protective glazing to all of the Minster’s stained glass has got off to a flying start.  Neil concluded:

“We want to thank everyone who came to see the show and for their support for the campaign to protect their Minster.  With the ticket revenue and match funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund (NHLF) and from the York Minster Fund, we will be able to continue our project to fit protective glazing to all of York Minster’s windows and preserve them for future generations.”