LAST weekend's Light Up the World festival was so successful that organisers plan to stage an event ten times its size next year. The Easter get-together for Christians of all denominations drew around 1,500 worshippers to Williamson Park over the weekend. But when it was launched five years ago, the whole city was transformed into a recreation of first century Jerusalem - and a crowd of almost 15,000 came to witness the spectacle.

Now, organisers say they want to try for a repeat of the first year's success.

Rev Peter Ballard, who helps run the event, said: "As this festival finished several people came up and said let's do the big one next year.

"My initial reaction was: that's going to need a lot of work. In fact we will have to start planning it straight away."

They propose to seal off Lancaster and turn parts of the city into scenes from the last days of Christ's life.

Last time, St John's church yard was turned into the garden of Gethsemene, the market was the temple and the crucifixion was staged in Williamson Park.

Worshippers then moved from place to place, following the events of the first Easter weekend as they unfolded before their eyes.

Rev Ballard added: "It was wonderful. People who would never go into a church came out for this.

"Afterwards, many said they were so moved by the experience that they actually became Christians."

This year's event began in Dalton Square on Friday evening, then a procession was led to Williamson Park where beacons were lit around an impressive scaffolding cross.

Many people camped out in the park for three days keeping a 36 hour outdoor vigil - the only one of its kind.

At dawn on Easter Sunday a huge fireworks display was set off, followed by a service held by the city's bishops and broadcast live across Lancashire.

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