Horsforth Lantern Festival Seeks Unwanted Christmas Lights

Key Points

• The Horsforth Lantern Festival team is appealing for donations of unwanted or broken festive lights.
• The appeal focuses particularly on battery-operated Christmas lights for creative reuse.
• The initiative aims to promote sustainability and community involvement ahead of the 2026 festival.
• Organisers hope to upcycle the donated lights into artistic lantern installations.
• The annual Horsforth Lantern Festival celebrates creativity, togetherness, and light in winter.
• The appeal follows the growing community-led movement to reduce electronic waste and encourage reuse.
• Local residents and businesses are being encouraged to contribute.
• The campaign aligns with Leeds City Council’s broader sustainability goals.
• Past festivals have drawn hundreds of participants and volunteers from across West Yorkshire.
• This year’s call for donations doubles as a step toward a more eco-friendly event.

Volunteers behind Horsforth’s much-loved Lantern Festival have launched an appeal asking residents to donate unwanted or broken Christmas lights — particularly battery-operated ones — to help power next year’s celebration of light and community.

As reported by Leeds Live, the appeal highlights the festival’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and creativity. A spokesperson for the event said:

“Have you got some battery-operated ones that are broken or you don’t want anymore? Please think about donating to the lantern festival!”

The lantern festival, a major community highlight held annually in Horsforth, Leeds, brings together families, artists, and volunteers to craft handmade lanterns that light up the dark winter evenings. The call for used lights offers locals an opportunity to contribute to the 2026 event while reducing festive waste leftover from the Christmas season.

Why Are Organisers Asking for Old or Broken Lights?

According to the volunteers’ group behind the Horsforth Lantern Festival, the choice to request broken or unwanted lights is not only practical but symbolic. Rather than letting lights go to waste, organisers plan to repurpose them into creative lantern installations — giving new life to old decorations and reinforcing the festival’s eco-conscious message.

As BBC Radio Leeds reported during last year’s festival, sustainability has become a guiding theme of the event. Workshop leader and local artist Sarah Jenson stated at the time:

“We are always looking at ways to make the festival greener every year. Reusing materials is a big part of that.”

This year’s appeal continues that ethos. By focusing on battery-operated lights, the festival team hopes to create displays that remain independent of main electricity supplies — a move designed both to enhance mobility during the lantern procession and to reduce the carbon footprint of the entire event.

How Does the Horsforth Lantern Festival Bring the Community Together?

The Horsforth Lantern Festival has grown into one of the most anticipated community events in the Leeds area. Founded more than a decade ago, it draws hundreds of families each year to parade hand-crafted lanterns through the town’s streets before gathering for performances, light installations, and winter festivities.

As described by Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Laura Reid, the event “embodies the spirit of Horsforth — warm, inclusive, and powered by local creativity.” In past years, schools, community groups, and local businesses have collaborated to run workshops and displays, ensuring that the festival remains a joint effort between residents of all ages.

Festival organisers encourage residents to see the light appeal as another form of participation.

“Not everyone has time to make lanterns or attend planning meetings,”

said community coordinator James Houghton in a statement shared via the Horsforth Town Council Newsletter.

“But donating lights is just as valuable. Every string of fairy lights or bulb helps bring our winter festival to life.”

What Makes the 2026 Festival Different?

While the festival has always championed community spirit, the 2026 edition will mark a stronger emphasis on sustainability and recycling. According to early planning discussions held by the organisers, they intend to increase the proportion of reused materials by at least 30%, including lantern frames, lighting components, and decorative items.

As Leeds City Council’s Environmental Partnerships Office noted in a December update, the festival’s partnership model aligns well with the council’s “Zero Waste Leeds” initiative, which encourages local events to repurpose materials. Councillor Fiona Venner, who represents the Kirkstall ward, praised the Lantern Festival’s initiative in 2025, stating:

“It’s a small but powerful example of how community tradition can support our wider climate goals.”

The team behind the Horsforth Lantern Festival told West Leeds Dispatch that they are “working to make 2026 our most environmentally conscious event yet,” with all creative activities grounded in reuse, repair, and local collaboration.

Where Can Residents Donate Their Christmas Lights?

Festival organisers have partnered with local collection points across Horsforth and nearby areas. Drop-off bins for old or broken lights will be placed in public libraries, community centres, and selected independent shops. Specific details will soon be released on the official Horsforth Lantern Festival Facebook Page and through notices distributed via local schools.

As reported by Horsforth Today, the team is particularly encouraging early donations throughout January to allow volunteers sufficient time for testing and incorporating the lights into lantern designs.

Donations of accompanying batteries are not required, as the festival team plans to use new rechargeable ones for safety reasons. However, contributors are reminded to remove batteries before drop-off to prevent leaks and ensure safe handling.

How Has the Festival’s Popularity Evolved Over the Years?

Since its establishment, the Horsforth Lantern Festival has developed from a small neighbourhood activity into a town-wide event attracting regional attention. The festival began in the early 2010s as a creative response to long winter nights and has since become a symbol of community resilience and collaboration.

Yorkshire Live previously reported that the event’s attendance surpassed 2,000 participants in 2023, with families joining from across Leeds and neighbouring towns such as Guiseley and Rawdon. In the same report, founding volunteer Helen Carter remarked:

“We started with paper lanterns in a single park; now we light up half of Horsforth. It’s been a beautiful journey.”

That growth also brought logistical and environmental challenges. The expanded scale means more materials, higher energy use, and increased waste — all of which the organisers now seek to counter with circular approaches like the 2026 light donation campaign.

What Does the Appeal Mean for Sustainability and Waste Reduction?

The festival’s reuse initiative fits within a broader trend of environmentally conscious event planning across the UK. Post-holiday electronic waste, especially broken decorative lighting, remains a significant issue. According to Recycle Now, millions of string lights end up in landfills each January, contributing to avoidable environmental harm.

In response, the Horsforth appeal transforms what might otherwise be waste into art.

“We’re giving people a simple way to do something positive,”

the organisers stated in comments shared with West Leeds Dispatch.

“Even a tangled string of fairy lights can brighten our next festival once it’s in creative hands.”

By encouraging repair and reuse, the organisers hope to raise awareness about recycling practices, particularly among young participants who attend lantern-making workshops each autumn.

What Are Volunteers and Locals Saying About the Initiative?

Public response to the appeal has been overwhelmingly positive on social media. Local resident Emma Thornton commented on the Horsforth Community Forum online:

“I love that my old lights can have another purpose. I was going to throw them out, but this feels much better — and very Horsforth!”

Meanwhile, volunteer John Wilkinson, interviewed by BBC Radio Leeds, said:

“We’re already receiving the first few donations. It’s amazing to see people taking the time to clean out drawers and cupboards so early in the new year.”

Community leaders have echoed similar sentiments, noting that the initiative not only helps the environment but also deepens local engagement.

“It’s more than recycling — it’s about connection,”

said Reverend Lisa Morgan of St. Margaret’s Church, a frequent partner of the festival.

What’s Next for the Horsforth Lantern Festival?

Preparations for the 2026 festival will continue through spring and summer, with lantern-making workshops scheduled from September. The theme has not yet been announced, though organisers have hinted it will “reflect hope, light, and renewal.”

In an upcoming press note, expected later this month, the team will publish further details on drop-off sites and volunteer registration dates.

For now, residents interested in donating unused or broken Christmas lights can follow updates via the Horsforth Lantern Festival’s official social media pages and the Leeds City Council Community Events Portal.