WHAT did you make of Lumiere? An amazing 140,000 people crammed into Durham City’s tiny streets over four nights – so many that the lightshow became a victim of its own success.

Click here to view pictures from this year's Lumiere light festival

On the one hand, people were bedazzled by the brilliance of the displays; on the other, they were bemoaning the queues and the crowds which prevented many – especially those with younger children – from experiencing the full glory.

Despite the frustrations, it was great to see so many people celebrating Durham as a magical city of light.

Even in the queues and the holding areas, Durham felt like a great place to be – a place with a buzz.

There are, though, plenty of lessons about crowd-management, signposting and event lay-out that need to be learned should Lumiere return.

Should Lumiere return? In these cash-strapped days, the estimated £1m – more than £7 for each person who attended – that has been spent by Durham County Council will not easily be found again, from either public or private purses.

But the turnout overwhelmed both the streets and many of the food outlets, showing how popular a cultural event can be. If all goes smoothly, such special events add immeasureably to our quality of life.

In a similar vein, there will be thousands of motorsport followers today who are in mourning the loss of the Superbikes race from Croft circuit, near Darlington. It was one of the highlights of their calendar, a rare chance to see internationallyrenowned names on their doorstep.

Yesterday, Sunderland’s Stadium of Light announced that it will host Bruce Springsteen next June. The Boss completes a hat-trick of big names: Coldplay and The Red Hot Chili Peppers have already been confirmed.

These, too, will add to the region’s quality of life, and create a buzz about the place.

Springsteen tickets start at £55; Coldplay tickets go up to £71.50. Suddenly Lumiere’s £7 doesn’t seem that expensive.