Catch Festival Fever This Autumn and Winter
The nights may have drawn in but there’s plenty of reasons to go out and enjoy some festival fun across Lancaster and Morecambe Bay. Light Up Lancaster, Morecambe Comedy Festival, Lancaster on Ice and the West End Winter Lantern Festival together with celebrating Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night traditions are all great reasons to wrap up warm and experience memorable events during autumn and winter.
There’s even more reasons to remember, remember the fifth of November this year as it signals the start of Light Up Lancaster, a spectacular festival of art and light from November 5-7. No Boundaries is the theme of this year’s festival which features exciting installations and interactive artworks lighting up historic buildings in the city centre and beaming across to Lancaster’s Williamson Park too. Among new features for 2026 are Fun Zones, giving children and young people opportunities to take part in light art, and British Sign Language guided tours for d/Deaf and hard of hearing visitors.
And even before Light Up Lancaster begins, there’s chances to enjoy other outdoor events with a Fireworks Extravaganza bringing traditional Bonfire Night fun to Morecambe Promenade on November 1 and Heysham Village on November 2. Other Bonfire Night treats are also lined up in Bolton-le-Sands, Lancaster Cricket and Sports Club and Ellel Village Hall on November 7.
And if you like tricks along with your treats, Hallowe’en events in the district include The Dukes Spooked cinema screenings from October 23-31; the Hauntings, Hangings & Horrid Happenings Walking Tour of Lancaster on October 31 and November 1 and Hallowe’en activities at Heysham Nature Reserve on October 26 and 27.
Morecambe’s most famous son, Eric, got his teeth into writing a children’s novel ideal for this time of year – The Reluctant Vampire – recently made into a BBC1 drama. In his centenary year, his hometown is launching its own Comedy Festival which runs at various locations from November 21-29. Opening the new Morecambe Comedy Festival will be the award-winning Steve Royle who has recently portrayed Eric Morecambe in the theatre production of The Last Laugh. The festival also promises more stand-up comedians, fringe shows and free workshops.
Staying in Morecambe, the festive season begins with a true community event, the West End Winter Lantern Festival weaving its way through the streets led by Baybeat Streetband on December 6. On the same day, the Winter Wonderland and Santa Bus arrives in Lancaster during a festive season which begins on November 29 with the Christmas Lights Switch-On featuring CancerCare’s Santa Dash and festive fun runs. Other December delights in Lancaster include a Candlelit Christmas at the Town Hall on December 10, a Victorian Christmas on December 13 and Lancaster’s Big Thursday featuring a vintage DJ, carollers and festive activities on December 17.
And the cherry on the Christmas cake must be Lancaster on Ice which transforms Dalton Square into a winter wonderland with its own ice rink, observation wheel, giant tipi bar and festive market stalls from November 22-January 5.
But if all you really want to do this autumn/winter is curl up with a good book, let Lancaster’s LitFest provide the perfect inspiration. There’s still time to catch LitFest’s autumn season with events including its International Fiction Online Book Club on October 26, 28 and November 16 and the 2026 Lancaster International Fiction Lecture at Lancaster University on November 12 while Lancaster author, Katherine Woodfine launches her latest story – The Christmas Book – at Atkinson’s Upper Hall on November 28.
