Illuminated River to honour Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in unique light sequence

Above: Illuminated River’s Platinum Jubilee display on Westminster Bridge © Paul Crawley/Raw Architecture.

For four nights over the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend, the world’s longest public artwork will be lit in a celebratory sequence of majestically evolving colour and light. The special edition of the artwork will be unveiled at sunset on Thursday 2 June and will run each night until 2.00am on Monday 6 June.

Nine central London Thames bridges, from Lambeth Bridge to London Bridge, will be choreographed in the synchronised flow of subtly moving LED light with tones of platinum and purple threaded within the main colour scheme.

Illuminated River artist Leo Villareal has been specially commissioned by the Illuminated River Foundation to programme this event, which will weave gently undulating patterns of light and colour across the historic Thames bridge structures in coordination with lighting of other major landmarks on the river.

Lord Neil Mendoza, Chair of the Illuminated River Foundation’s Board of Trustees, says:  “Illuminated River is delighted to be contributing to the nation’s celebrations of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in the form of a unique lighting event along the Thames in central London. We hope that as many people as possible – Londoners, visitors and newcomers to the city alike, will enjoy Leo Villareal’s special display as part of a memorable weekend of celebrations marking the seventh decade of Her Majesty’s reign”.

Leo Villareal, artist of Illuminated River, says: “It is a privilege to create this special edition of Illuminated River to honour Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The hallmark colours of the Jubilee, purple and platinum, will augment the artwork across its nine bridges over the Thames, lighting up the river and its surroundings with a momentous spectacle that people celebrating across the UK can enjoy.  It’s very exciting to activate so many of London’s important bridges for this unique and special moment.”

Above: Illuminated River’s Platinum Jubilee display on Lambeth Bridge © Paul Crawley/Raw Architecture.

Illuminated River is a long-term artwork that is free and accessible to all. It was created to reconnect people with the Thames and its environs, drawing inspiration from the spirit of the river and the shared heritage of its bridges. The continually evolving art installation was unveiled in full in Spring 2021, with Lambeth, Westminster, Golden Jubilee, Waterloo and Blackfriars Road Bridges joining Millennium, Southwark, Cannon Street and London Bridges, which were illuminated in July 2019.

At 3.2 miles in length, Illuminated River is the longest public art commission in the world. The artwork can be enjoyed from the Thames embankments or by boat every night of the year from sunset to 2.00am. Free options for exploring Illuminated River include a range of self-guided tours, audio descriptions and musical interpretations commissioned to accompany the experience from young composers at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. A full list of free resources for exploring Illuminated River can be viewed here: https://illuminatedriver.london/discover/explore