Whether it’s on your journey home, a favourite place to visit or somewhere that holds a special memory – where's your favourite place to pause along the Thames?

On #WorldHeritageDay let’s take a look at the fascinating history of London Bridge.

Tell us if any of these facts surprised you ✨

How many have you visited?
#WorldArtDay #PublicArt #ArtInLondon

Illuminated River began as a bold idea: to connect London’s bridges through a single artwork, while letting each one keep its own unique identity.  

Five years on, it remains the world’s longest public art commission, enjoyed by millions every year.  

Happy 5th Anniversary Illuminated River.

It's #OlivierAwards week, so we thought we'd check in on Sir Laurence Olivier himself - you'll find him outside the National Theatre on the South Bank, keeping watch over the Thames.

#PublicArt #London #LaurenceOlivier

The exhibition is open until 8pm on Saturdays and 9pm on Fridays, so take a stroll along the Thames after your visit and see Illuminated River come to life.

Visit Chiharu Shiota: Threads of Life at @southbankcentre.bsky.social's Hayward Gallery, and marvel at the artist’s immense and intricate web-like installations, exploring the body, memory, consciousness and the fragility of existence.

A couple of our recent favourite images from your walks along the river 📸

We love how you keep finding new ways to capture Illuminated River - keep tagging us in your shots for a chance to be featured on our channels.

Walking Tours in partnership with the Official Guides to the City of… The Illuminated River will be an art commission on an unprecedented scale: a scheme to light central London’s bridges along the River Thames.

The last two tours for this season will take place on Wed 15th and Thu 23rd April - don't miss your chance to see London in a new light this month. 

Today is #NationalWalkingDay - a great day to announce 2️⃣ extra dates for our official Illuminated River Walking Tours. 

Tours are led by friendly, knowledgeable City of London Guides, so you'll discover the history & stories behind the Thames, its bridges & the world's longest piece of public art.

Boat Tours in partnership with Uber Boat by Thames Clippers The Illuminated River will be an art commission on an unprecedented scale: a scheme to light central London’s bridges along the River Thames.

Bookings:

Tours take place on the following dates: 

📆 April:
Thu 2, Sat 4, Thu 9, Sat 11, Thu 16, Sat 18, Thu 23, Sat 25 & Wed 29 

📆 May: 
Sat 2, Sat 9, Wed 13, Sat 16, Thu 21, Sat 23 & Sat 30

There's still time to enjoy an Illuminated River Boat Tour this Spring, but the clock is ticking...

Step aboard a Thames Clippers vessel at Tower Pier and prepare to see London in a new light. You'll hear from experienced Guides & experience sights from the water in a way you can’t on land.

Please note, if you've booked an Illuminated River boat tour on 28 March, the artworks will be illuminated just as you embark.

Join us in marking Earth Hour from home tomorrow, by turning off non-essential electrical lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.

📸 Jason Hawkes

Tomorrow, 28 March, is #EarthHour.

As part of a City of London initiative, the Illuminated River artworks on London, Southwark, Millennium and Blackfriars Bridges will power down from 8.30pm to 9.30pm, to raise awareness about climate change and encourage environmental action.

📸 Jason Hawkes

A gorgeous glow-up for one of the Thames' oldest bridges.

Leo Villareal's artwork celebrates Cannon Street Bridge's utilitarian character & monumental Doric columns, with subtle kinetic colours mirroring the motion of the trains passing above.

Written by poet Tife Kusoro and commissioned by Illuminated River with The Poetry Society, I Would Rather Look at You describes a nighttime journey from London Bridge to Lambeth Bridge, capturing an emotional response to Leo Villareal's artwork, infused with a contagious sense of wonder.

For #WorldPoetryDay, we’re re-sharing a poem inspired by the light and movement of the Thames at night.

✍️ What's your favourite way to spend time along the Thames? 

Today is #InternationalDayofHappiness, and the river has plenty to offer. Sunset walks, riverside chats, watching the Illuminated River artworks bring the bridges to life...

Share your happy places in the comments 👇

Photo: Paul Crawley

Explore Illuminated River – Map and Resources The Illuminated River will be an art commission on an unprecedented scale: a scheme to light central London’s bridges along the River Thames.

As darkness falls, why not use one of the guides on our website to take a self-guided walk along the Thames and experience the Illuminated River bridges after dark?

Following the Thames and the streets around it, RAW invites audiences to encounter art at every scale, from seeing internationally recognised institutions to meeting artists at work in their own spaces.

We're proud to be part of the inaugural River Art Walk this weekend ✨

RAW is a new weekend art trail bringing together major galleries, independent spaces, and working artist studios across the South Bank, Waterloo, Lambeth and Southwark.

📸 James Newton

Fragments of a Changing Future is available to view every evening until 11pm, so take a stroll along the Thames after your visit and see the Illuminated River artworks take centre stage.

A major new courtyard installation by artist Dana-Fiona Armour, blending sculpture, science, and responsive light technology, is now open at Somerset House.