Despite torrential rain, the 2025 Ulverston Lantern Festival drew thousands of townsfolk and visitors, proving that nothing could dampen the community spirit or the magical atmosphere of the event, writes Chris Jones.
The festival, renowned for its stunning lantern procession, this year adopted a music theme, filling the streets with glowing representations of musical instruments, a giant Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, and a wonderful His Master’s Voice gramophone together with Nipper the Dog.
The weather did not deter festival-goers from attending in droves. Wrapped in raincoats and holding umbrellas, families, locals, and visitors alike lined the streets to witness the procession of beautifully crafted lanterns.
Designs included oversized guitars, violins, pianos, and those inspired by songs such as a giant Yellow Submarine and musical notes.
Each lantern paid homage to the power of community spirit, creativity, celebration, and a huge effort by volunteers.
The success of the festival is its community inclusivity; lantern-making workshops take place weeks beforehand, and anyone of any age can create lanterns and join in.
Four processions started at different points around the town and came together in County Square outside the Coronation Hall. They created a river of light winding through the streets up to Ford Park for a big firework finale.
The event featured performances from local brass bands, and each of the four processions was accompanied by street bands, who provided the rhythmic drumbeat and an earworm soundtrack to the evening’s festivities.
While the rain fell steadily, the music echoed through the streets, further enhancing the magic of the lanterns as they shimmered against the wet backdrop.
A saxophone lantern paid tribute to the festival’s creator, John Fox.
Welfare State International was a British experimental theatre group, a collective of radical artists and thinkers who explored ideas of celebratory art and spectacle.
Ulverston Lantern Festival has become a template for festivals throughout the UK and beyond and John’s legacy lives on.
Ulverston Lantern Festival remains a highlight of the town’s cultural calendar, celebrating creativity, resilience, and underpinning Ulverston’s claim to festival town status.
