Looking back on previous Festival of Flames in Hexham

Crowds enjoying the display outside Hexham Abbey (Image: KATE BUCKINGHAM.)“Ignite” was the first Festival of Flame event, held in 2019.

Hexham Town Council wanted to add some extra magic to the Christmas Lights switch-on event and, in partnership with Queen's Hall Arts, to promote their “Viking Christmas” show – a theme that was to inform some of the installations at the event.

Kids enjoy the event every year (Image: The Bigger Picture)The event was then later paused during Covid but returned again in 2022. The theme for that year was “Illuminate”, which organiser Jez Light from Hexham Community Partnership said at the time: “When we ran the first Festival of Flame back in 2019 we called it “Ignite” as we wanted it to be the start of something new, an annual event.

Festival of Flame outside Hexham Abbey. (Image: KATE BUCKINGHAM)"The year’s theme [2022] references the flock of Illuminated Sheep that have been adopted by communities across Northumberland as part of an art trail inspired by the visit of the Lindisfarne Gospels to the Laing Gallery in Newcastle. 40 of the sheep will gather together for one last time at the Abbey - and we want visitors to discover the remaining sheep in the windows of businesses along Hexham’s High Street Heritage Action Zone".

Bertie and Lizzie Landale enjoy the Festival of Flame outside Hexham Abbey. (Image: KATE BUCKINGHAM.)The festival features over 1,000 candles in the Abbey, along with live performances of music, fire gardens and toasted marshmallows.

It's always a great occasion to enjoy roasted marshmallows (Image: Hexham Abbey)