Stand Up To Cancer comes to Leicester

Visit Leicester is delighted to share some big news! This December, Leicester is set to host an extremely moving national event: the Stand Up To Cancer Tribute Mile! We’re inviting all our friends across the UK to join us in transforming Abbey Park into a stunning and emotional mile of light and love with over 5,000 personalised lanterns, shining brightly to honour every life touched by cancer.

No matter where you live, you can contribute your heartfelt tribute:

Get Hands-On at Highcross (In-Person): If you’re local, come and get hands-on! Stand Up To Cancer is setting up a special ‘Tribute Workshop’ at the Highcross shopping centre starting Tuesday, December 9th. You can personally create your lantern throughout the week, with the workshop open daily from 10 am to 6 pm.

Create Your Lantern Online (UK-Wide): You don’t need to be in Leicester to be part of this powerful tribute! People across the UK can easily create and dedicate one of four unique lantern designs online. Each lantern will include a photo and a written tribute to honour someone special. Just visit the Stand Up To Cancer’s Tribute Mile website to submit your dedication.

The emotional journey kicks off on Tuesday 9 December, with Channel 4 stars and Stand Up To Cancer ambassadors Adam Hills and Mel Schilling joining us to launch the Highcross workshop!

Keep an eye on Channel 4, as live shows will be reporting from Leicester all week long. The magnificent Tribute Mile itself will be fully installed in Abbey Park and officially lit up on the evening of Friday 12 December, during a special live broadcast.

You can then come and experience the beauty and emotion of the installation for yourself during the public viewing weekend on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 December.

As presenter Mel Schilling beautifully put it, “Every lantern represents a life, a story and a love that continues long after loss.” This is more than a light display; it’s a community standing together.

Terri Mclean-Bowman, who is dedicating a light to her beautiful mum, Maureen Forde, and shared that “being a part of something so special that will raise vital awareness means a lot to me.”

By turning our heartfelt tributes into a symbol of hope, we help fund the life-saving research that Stand Up To Cancer – a joint campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4. They have already raised over £113 million for groundbreaking trials and projects.

Please join Visit Leicester and Leicester City Council, either online or in person, to support Stand Up TO Cancer and help us light up Leicester for this worthwhile cause!