Who was Mary Bateman? Find out at Colour & Light 2026 at York Castle Museum and Clifford’s Tower
THOUSANDS of visitors have already enjoyed Colour & Light 2026 as the dual-façade projection show continues to light up York Castle Museum and Clifford’s Tower.
Now into its final week, the family-friendly free event has turned the Eye of York into a gathering point each evening, when audiences can watch a fully choreographed ten-minute projection on rotation.
Delivered by York BID in partnership with Edinburgh installation designers Double Take Projections, as well as York Museums Trust and English Heritage, this winter’s show brings York’s rogues and rebels, scoundrels and legends to life in a projected experience that draws on the city’s rich and sometimes surprising history.
Despite the incessant rain, an estimated 24,000 people watched Colour & Light 2026 in its first week when, at its peak, more than 1,200 people gathered to watch a single showing on the first Saturday evening, as York & Light seeks to surpass the 100,000 viewing figures for last year’s 18 shows per night across 20 nights.
Backed by £46,914 funding from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, Colour & Light has drawn large and varied crowds into the city centre during February’s coldest and darkest weeks, supporting York’s evening economy at a quieter time of year.
Carl Alsop, operations manager at York BID, says: “Seeing over 1,200 people gathered together for one show on that first Saturday really highlighted what Colour & Light has become: a moment people experience together in the city centre.
“Despite the very wet weather we’re experiencing at the moment, the atmosphere has been strong each night, with people meeting up, bringing family and enjoying York after dark. There’s still time to see it, and we hope many more people will take the opportunity.”
Siona Mackelworth, Head of Audience and Programme at York Museums Trust, says: “York Castle Museum is pleased to be supporting York BID on Colour & Light for 2026. York Museums Trust last participated in 2024, when the projections of our incredible collections lit up the front of York Art Gallery.
“The 2026 show brings something different as it explores some of York’s potentially lesser-known history and, for the first time, will be projected across multiple buildings. Working in conjunction with York BID and English Heritage at Clifford’s Tower has been an exciting venture in bringing two iconic York locations together.”
David Skaith, Mayor of York & North Yorkshire, says: “High streets are constantly changing, but they have, and always will be, hubs for our communities. That’s why I’m backing community-led projects across York and North Yorkshire.
“Like Colour & Light in York, which brings people into the city centre with a light show projected onto some of York’s best-known buildings. It’s a simple but creative way to attract visitors and give everyone something special to enjoy.
“Residents and businesses understand most what is needed in their communities, and I am proud to be backing their plans with my £10m Vibrant and Sustainable High Street Fund.”
Among those rebellious and legendary figures featured in Colour & Light 2026 are Dick Turpin and Guy (or “Guido”) Fawkes, Mary Bateman, Swift Nick, Eric Bloodaxe, Moonlight Maggie, the Filey Brigg Dragon, the Roman Soldiers at Treasurer’s House and the Barghest, a legendary monstrous black dog that haunts the snickelways and streets of York.
“We’re so lucky to be from a city that is so rich in heritage,” says Carl. “Everyone loves a villain: someone with an edge and whose backstory is as intriguing as it is alarming.
“They’ve got questionable morals and they’ve got complexities, complexities that keep appearing in fictional characters. This is what draws us in and is what we have in abundance in this city.”
The continuous, looped Colour & Light show runs every evening until Sunday (22/2/2026), with projections starting at 6pm and running every ten minutes until 9pm. Admission is free; no tickets are required; the best viewing point is the Eye of York.