HUGE crowds at the Lumiere light festival came “very, very close” to triggering a serious incident, councillors were told yesterday.
Kingsgate Bridge, over the River Wear, was shaking and people began to panic during the spectacular festival held in Durham City last month, Councillor Nigel Martin told a full meeting of Durham County Council.
More than 150,000 people visited Lumiere over four nights, making it the country’s largest light festival.
Coun Martin, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, said it had been an amazing event, but there were concerns at overcrowding.
He said: “I think we were very, very close to a possibly serious incident. People began to turn around. We know from football matches that isn’t a good idea.
“I think there are some lessons we have to learn on crowd control.”
Council leader Simon Henig said Durham was crowded, as attendance was double that of Lumiere 2009, but the festival provided a significant economic boost to the area.
The council would form a view on whether Lumiere should return in 2013 once all financial and safety issues had been considered, he added.
It is believed this decision could be several months away.
Lumiere, which ran from November 17 to 20, featured 35 installations, including massive images from the Lindisfarne Gospels being projected onto Durham Cathedral, a man-made Splash waterfall descending from Kingsgate Bridge and a snowdome over the Lord Londonderry statue.
Many visitors enjoyed the displays but were angry at having to wait for long periods in Durham Market Place.
Robin Smith, who saw Kingsgate Bridge shaking, said: “I honestly thought that the following morning’s headlines would be about the 200 people killed in the bridge collapse.”
Afterwards, Helen Marriage, co-director of producers Artichoke and Lumiere’s programmer, said the event had been safe but there was a “huge question” about whether Durham wanted it to return.
Yesterday, Artichoke issued a statement declaring the event a “glowing success”.
“Although it’s true to say some people didn’t like the crowds and the measures we had to put in place to keep people safe, it’s also clear from the early results of our survey that it was an overwhelming success,” it said.
To take part in the survey, visit lumieredurham.co.uk
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