OVER the last ten years, Illuminating York has established itself as one of the highlights in the York calendar. Seeing some of the city’s iconic buildings lit up in weird and wonderful ways has proved hugely popular.

We fell out of love with the festival a little two years ago, when the Vic Reeves-inspired light show in the Museum Gardens failed to spark much enthusiasm.

That, plus the introduction of charging, put a bit of a dampener on things.

Last year’s Viking-themed festival was much better – but again, there were charges for the main event. While Parliament Street was packed, fewer than 10,000 people proved willing to pay for tickets and the event was left with a £20,000 budget shortfall.

When those details emerged in January, we said the figures sent out a clear message: the festival used to be free, and should be again.

Tickets for this year’s main ‘Hidden Worlds’ event are once again paid for – though it could be argued that £4 a head (and less for children) represents pretty good value for a unique event.

The light and sound shows are certainly special this year. And with the spotlight falling on the work of great York scientific pioneers such as John Snow, the father of epidemiology, and astronomer John Goodricke, the city is seizing the chance to bang its own drum.

If you really don’t want to fork out £4 for a ticket, meanwhile, there are plenty of free events, as usual.

So why not get out tonight and enjoy seeing our ancient and beautiful city in a completely different light?