Head to Manchester’s buzzing Salford Quays district in December for one of the biggest digital light festivals in the UK. Each year the waterfront is taken over by highly-Instagrammable light sculptures, displays and installations, which all have interactivity and playfulness at their heart.

The Twilight Trail is the perfect inner-city Christmas destination for all ages, from families to couples, groups, and everyone in between which will transform into “a dazzling city-centre winter escape” for the duration of the festive period.

We all know and love the animals that bring Chester Zoo to life, but after dark the most popular tourist attraction outside London is transformed into an illuminated wonderland.

RHS Garden Bridgewater is pulling out the stops again this year with an illuminated trail that families will love. Weave through yew domes festooned with fairy lights and stroll through the illuminated archways of the Kitchen Garden.

Oldham’s late-night arts festival sees the town’s main streets and community hotspots illuminated by light-based attractions and a carnival parade.

Experience something different this festive season at out-of-the-ordinary Saltaire. Since 2006, the residents of this quaint village have been transforming their windows into the doors of a giant advent calendar.