An event at Lichfield Cathedral will be staged outdoors only amid coronavirus concerns, organisers have confirmed.
Cathedral Illuminated begins this evening (16th December) and runs until 22nd December.
Created by Luxmuralis, it was due to see the outside and the inside of the cathedral used to as the canvas for a festive light and sound display.
But following the rise of the Omicron strain of coronavirus, organisers say only the outdoor element of the event will now take place in order to “protect visitors, volunteers and staff”.
The Dean of Lichfield, The Very Revd Adrian Dorber said:
“As a team at the cathedral, we have been watching the news as it develops. We’ve been making plan after plan for various eventualities so that people can enjoy the time leading up to Christmas whilst also keeping our visitors, volunteers and staff as safe as possible.
“We know that this new variant of Covid is highly infectious but much less likely to spread in wide outdoor spaces. So, the decision has been made to keep the event outside, still with the same projections and outdoor experience but without the added risk of moving people into an indoor space where there is much greater risk.
“No-one wants to be isolating over Christmas.”
The Very Revd Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield
Artist Peter Walker, from Luxmuralis, said he hoped people would understand why the decision had been taken.
“To have to change the plans for Cathedral Illuminated this year at the last moment has not been taken lightly.
“We fully support the decisions that the cathedral has made to make sure that the public are safe.
“I would like to thank my team and colleagues for the dedication over the past several months, working tirelessly to put together this show, and although we cannot present the whole experience, visitors will still be able to enjoy the exterior illuminations that have brought joy to so many for the last few years, accompanied by the uplifting and beautiful music of my colleague David Harper.
“I would also like to thank the cathedral staff and volunteers who have done everything in their power to make the event happen this year and who will welcome visitors over the coming days.”
Peter Walker
The cathedral said it had now updated its refund policy to allow refunds in advance of the ticket time.
Visitors will be notified on the gate of the change in the event, with refunds able to be requested.
