Illuminate lantern parade returns to Boston this November
Boston Illuminate 2025, ©Transported ©ElectricEgg.
The streets of Boston will glow with handmade lanterns on Friday 27th November as Illuminate returns to the town centre as part of the Boston Christmas Festival.
This year’s parade takes inspiration from the theme ‘Looking Up’, inviting people to take a fresh look at Boston’s buildings and the details they might usually walk straight past. From architectural carvings and sculptures to the town’s historic features, looking a little closer can reveal lots of interesting detail.
Local artists, schools, families and community groups will bring the theme to life with hundreds of handmade lanterns. Led by a spectacular Bostonian mermaid lantern, the parade will also feature live music, dancers, puppets and handmade costumes, creating an evening of creativity that the whole community can enjoy.
Illuminate has become a regular fixture in Boston’s winter calendar, bringing people together to celebrate the town through art, light and experiences. It’s also a chance to get involved yourself, with community lantern-making workshops taking place in the lead-up to the event.
Get involved with Illuminate
If you’d like to be part of this year’s parade, you can join a community lantern-making workshop and create your own lantern to carry through Boston.
The parade is delivered by Transported, with support from Story Tellers, as part of our work to support arts, culture and creativity across South and East Lincolnshire.
For more information about the parade, visit our What’s On page, where you’ll find the event details and everything you need to know about Illuminate 2026.
This event is part of Transported's Creative People and Places programme funded by Arts Council England, supported by Boston Borough Council and South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership's Story Tellers NPO project, delivered through funding from Arts Council England. Transported seek to engage more people with high-quality arts experiences in Boston and South Holland