Spoiler alert: not really. But it’ll still be very pretty!
Dust off your bucket list, because you’re about to tick something off it this weekend. Tonight (Friday, April 5th) and tomorrow (Saturday, April 6th), the Northern Lights will light the sky above the Tower of London, and it’s going to be dead pretty.
(Speaking of things coming to the London skyline, this impressive skyscraper was just approved.)
Now, if you’re thinking “aurora borealis is never seen this far south, and definitely not with London’s frankly insane level of light pollution”, you’d be right. The lights are actually a projection dubbed ‘Borealis’, devised by artist Dan Archer, who’s previously taken it all over the world. So yes, it’s an illusion, but come on, it’s still rather nifty.
See also: All the best art exhibits hitting London this year.
Using particle clouds and frickin’ laser beams, Archer is able to approximate the stunning natural phenomenon, sans pesky flight to the Arctic (it’s just a pesky trip to Tower Hill instead). Handily, they’re entirely free to witness, with the projections running from 8-10:30pm on both nights. Hey, it may not be the real deal, but ‘Borealis’ is no bore!