Record numbers for Spectra opening night

The light spectacular is on across the Granite City, and it's already proving massively popular

Author: Bekki ClarkPublished 9th Feb 2018

Eleven thousand people have visited Aberdeen's Spectra festival - in just one night.

The light spectacular is on across the Granite City, and it's already proving massively popular.

7,500 people visited the festival on opening night last year.

BAFTA award-winning artist Seb Lee-Delisle’s Lightning Strikes and Lightbombing by SOLA wowed the crowds at Marischal College; while St Nicholas Kirk was transformed into an ethereal and contemplative space by the beautiful and hypnotic OctopusGarden by RaumZeitPiraten and Sun at Night by David Henkel inside the Kirk itself.

Union Terrace Garden is the location of the eagerly anticipated installations Wave-Field by Lateral Office and Light Battle by Venividimultiplex, as well as Aberscreen by local art collective, STACK and the incredible Lightweight by Impossible.

This year sees His Majesty’s Theatre bathed in light with King Orpheo by Illuminous, and the welcome return of arts space The Anatomy Rooms behind Marischal College hosts Felix’s Machines with Compositional Automata.

Aberdeen City Council Deputy Leader Councillor Marie Boulton said: “The opening evening of SPECTRA 2018 has been tremendous. Each of the sites has been packed with families and friends enjoying the installations and the new additions of His Majesty’s Theatre and the return of The Anatomy Rooms have been very well received.

“Each installation is so unique and it is such a thrill to see these installations by internationally renowned artists here in Aberdeen. Year-on-year SPECTRA gets bigger and better.